The Story that is Building a Super Drop Off Center

Setting the Scene

Dan Broersma painted a picture of a quintessential moment in a quiet neighborhood in the city of Holland on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan: “You’re on Tulip Lane. It’s May, and you see the tulips and windmills. You take a deep breath as you face the sun, and you smell...” Scowling, he presents a twist: “...something musty.”

Broersma, the sustainability manager for Holland, shared his story during the NextCycle Michigan Showcase in October 2024. That musty odor, overpowering the fragrant floral notes of over six million tulips planted throughout the city, was emanating from a mattress that was waiting for disposal. Next to it, the household had also set out a full recycling bin, a clear indication that they want to do the right thing when it came to waste materials.

DESCRIBING THE SOLUTION

Broersma sought out the support of the NextCycle Michigan accelerator program to refine plans for a materials recovery super drop-off center to serve the city and neighboring communities. While the example of a “musty” mattress might suggest that the drop-off center project aims primarily to address blight, what makes the project “super” is a dedication to solving for the full range of materials management needs - waste reduction, material reuse, repair, recycling, and organics recovery – as well as education about the benefits of diverting from landfills, too. This is in contrast to the city’s current drop-off facility, Project Pride, which is limited to receiving and disposing of oversized materials.

The city of Holland’s curbside recycling program has been at the forefront of the industry in recent years, both in increasing participation to a 70% set out rate and decreasing contamination from 75% to under 10%.

With the new center, the community estimates it can double its recycling volume. In part, the center will accomplish this by offering a day-to-day recycling option for the city’s 2,280 households living in apartments. It will also welcome small businesses and neighbors from adjoining counties who lack curbside recycling. The center will offer residents a convenient and affordable way to drop off a variety of recyclable materials that are not accepted curbside, including mattresses, electronics, scrap metal, and home appliances.

The center will be designed for multiple functions and will offer education and workshop sessions. It will house local non-profit 3sixty’s tool library in exchange for the organization providing weekly repair events in the classroom and repair space at the super drop-off center. To facilitate reuse, the center will also include a small resale space for assets the city no longer needs.

MAKING A PLAN

During the NextCycle Michigan accelerator program, the Holland team “jumped around” a bit, questioning whether they needed to reinvent the wheel. The accelerator helped the team analyze details from other comprehensive drop-off centers around Michigan and facilitated visits to drop-off facilities in Coldwater and at Michigan State University. It became clear that none of the facilities encompassed all they envisioned while also meeting their goal of providing the center’s services without tax dollars for operations.

The Holland team touring the Michigan State University Surplus Store and Recycling Center in East Lansing as part of their NextCycle Michigan project. Shown are, from left, Jerry Toninini, materials task force volunteer and local business owner; Mark Meyers, Holland community and neighborhood services director; Scott Vander Zwaag, materials task force volunteer; Isabel Stein, Holland sustainability coordinator; and, at right, Dave Smith, service manager at MSU’s facility.

Now confident in their idea, the Holland team dug in with the team’s NextCycle Michigan advisors—Kerrin O’Brien of the Michigan Recycling Coalition, Jeff Krcmarik from EGLE, Kristen Wieland of RRS, and Kari Bliss with Padnos—to begin detailing an operations plan. What will the hours be? Exactly what materials will be accepted? How many employees will be needed? What equipment is needed? How will it be funded?

Broersma was impressed with the NextCycle Michigan coaches’ knowledge and was grateful for the progress they made together. The NextCycle network allowed the team to connect with other communities and organizations and get a stronger understanding of the needs and impact of a drop-off center.

He also credits his engaging presentation to the guidance received during the NextCycle Michigan Accelerator Academy that kicked off the six-month program. He sees Holland’s enriched story and lessons he learned about engaging stakeholders and officials using stories as an integral part of the project’s progress.

“I learned to engage all of my audience’s senses, and it gave me a whole new perspective on the project,” Broersma said. “I really feel that telling our story more effectively was a big factor in being recognized during the NextCycle Michigan Showcase.”

During the Showcase, the Holland team was awarded the $10,000 “Best in Show” award and the $2,500 “People’s Choice” award, both in the Intergovernmental Initiatives and Public-Private Partnership category. Teams that competed in the pitch showcase also received a $5,000 Harvest Grant from EGLE.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Holland super drop-off center’s story also received the help of a master's degree student through the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan. Moving forward, a Catalyst Leadership Circle fellow will work the city’s learnings to develop a manual for the center, which will also be used as a model for other communities developing comprehensive drop-off centers.