6 ways Intergovernmental Initiatives Can Improve Municipal Recycling Programs
Municipal recycling programs are the bedrock upon which the recycling industry is built. It is through these programs that much of the population engages with the system, developing a tangible, sensory connection to the practice of recycling. Materials collected through these programs are an essential source of recycled commodities that can be transformed into raw materials for re-manufacturing in a circular economy.
What is often overlooked is the role that intergovernmental initiatives (I2) play in the execution and scalable impact of these programs. Many lessons have been learned over the past three decades in terms of how and why to develop intergovernmental agreements around recycling and solid waste management. This story will look at six key components of effective municipal recycling programs along with best management practices for leveraging I2 at different stages in the system.
1. Collection
The first component of an effective municipal program is collection. This is where the material begins its post-consumer journey and kicks off the cascade of action leading to a circular economy. The Emmet County Department of Public Works (DPW) uses I2 to improve collection systems and increase supply of recyclables to their publicly owned and operated MRF.
The county has used intergovernmental agreements to expand recycling access in Northern Michigan in several ways. It started within Emmet’s borders through an agreement between townships, cities, and the county to do the following:
Direct all contracted hauler-collected waste to the County transfer station and dual-stream MRF;
Support the county-wide network of recycling drop off sites, including a comprehensive drop-off site for a wide range of materials;
Provide county-operated residential curbside recycling service in higher density areas; and
Provide access to recycling and organics collection for commercial generators.
The county DPW has expanded this network of intergovernmental partners to neighboring counties and continues to seek opportunities to expand further, creating a true hub and spoke service model for the region.
The key to unlocking this potential is the long-term commitment of the local units of government to work with the Emmet County DPW leadership, and the strength of the DPW’s enterprise fund approach to these services under the leadership of the Board of Public Works and County Commissioners.
2. Processing
The second component of an effective municipal program is processing. This allows the collected materials to be sorted by commodity type and prepared for market.
The Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority (SOCRRA) is a municipal Authority consisting of twelve member municipalities. SOCRRA owns and operates several pieces of infrastructure including a transfer station, a compost site, and a single stream material recovery facility (MRF) that processes curbside recyclables collected by their contracted haulers. The I2 secures a stable flow of recyclables into the MRF along with the revenue to sustain the operation.
SOCRRA upgraded the MRF in 2017-2018 to double the capacity from 15,000 to 30,000 tons per year and shift from dual stream to single stream. This coincided with a new cart-based collection contract. The upgrades included a new tipping floor space, a drum feeder, a two-deck MACH OCC screen, a MACH One ONP screen, a MACH Ballistic separator, a ferrous magnet, a Machinex eddy current separator, a 3-cubic-yard waste compactor, and a glass cleanup system.
3. End Markets
Without End Markets your recyclables’ circular journey will never be fulfilled. Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority (MCSWMA) recognized this when upgrading its MRF in 2019, as there were no traditional end markets for glass. The MRF expansion was predicated on an expansion of access within the region and MCSWMA knew that attracting new customers meant finding a solution for glass.
As a costly material to separate and transport to market, MCSWMA determined that it was not feasible to treat glass like other recyclables. It required MCSWMA to think differently and find a local end market. Through partnership with Michigan Tech University, a solution for onsite glass processing was identified. The process of converting the glass into an aggregate material for use in road and pathway construction has commenced. Within the county some municipalities collect glass curbside in a separate stream, while drop-off is available in other parts of the region. Whatever the collection approach, inclusion of glass as an accepted recyclable proved a key factor in the popularity of the new MCSWMA facility
4. Education and Outreach
Education and outreach cannot be overlooked as an important aspect of any municipal recycling program. Quality and quantity of recyclables depend on the behavior of a program’s participants and that behavior is influenced by education and outreach. Successful education and outreach programs involve more than just the distribution of a recycling flyer. There are comprehensive, specific, and measureable strategies utilizing many different tactics and approaches to engage and educate program users to achieve specific goals. I2 can improve the effectiveness of education and outreach campaigns by harmonizing messaging and campaigns across several jurisdictions, rather than relying on a piecemeal approach from each.
The Washtenaw Regional Resource Management Authority (WRRMA) is a new I2 formed by seven municipalities in 2019, covering 150,000 residents. In addition to harmonizing the list of recyclable materials among member communities, one of the first coordinated efforts as an authority was to improve the quantity and quality of the recycling programs through a coordinated anti-contamination education program. To make this possible, WRRMA received a $125,000 grant from The Recycling Partnership and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). This grant allows the authority to conduct a Feet on the Street cart tagging program educating residents on proper recycling behavior.
5. Supporting POlicies
Supporting policies are often instrumental drivers to municipal recycling programs and can be utilized through I2 to direct recycling activities across jurisdictions. Grand Traverse County, for example, uses an I2 structure to enable local units of government and the county to work together to bring residential recyclables to curbside recycling districts, which are designated in the County Solid Waste and Recycling Ordinance and generally follow service areas of the natural gas distribution system.
Each local unit has approved and signed an intergovernmental agreement with the county that enables the county DPW to adopt a program design and governance structure for its Recycle Smart program along with rules and regulations that support it. Within this Recycle Smart program framework, private haulers that service the local units make sure that curbside recycling is provided to each household within the defined curbside recycling district following the uniform guidelines.
A recycling drop-off network is also provided as part of these services, which has enabled the largest hauler, American Waste (now part of GFL Environmental), to build a state-of-the-art recycling center, provide expanded recycling services to commercial and multi-family buildings, and provide surrounding counties with recycling drop-off services as part of a regional hub and spoke network.
6. Public Private Partnership
Public Private Partnership is another aspect of municipal recycling that has made many things possible over the years and can be leveraged within I2 to maximize impact and realize efficiencies related to scale. The Charter Township of Orion in northern Oakland County, for example, was able to greatly expand and improve access to recycling and yard waste collection services by adopting an ordinance that authorizes the township to contract with a single hauler to provide universal access to residential waste, recycling, yard debris, and bulky waste collection services.
Each household receives a rolling cart for waste and a rolling cart for recyclables, with an optional cart for yard waste (for an added cost). The hauler is responsible for billing each resident under the terms of the five-year contract (with an additional five-year renewal term) following pre-approved service rates that were found to be the most competitive during the request for proposal (RFP) procurement process. These rates are 10% to 60% less than the rates being charged by haulers under the previous open market system, and all households receive carts and the full suite of services instead of having to pay extra for them.
This suite of expanded higher quality services are estimated to result in a township-wide cost savings each year of more than $1.5M – a strong economic as well as recycling justification for a single hauler approach. Two nearby local units, the Charter Townships of Waterford and Commerce, took similar steps that year – providing enhanced recycling services and significant cost savings across the northern part of Oakland County.