02-13-1985 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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Figure 2 WHERE DOES MUNICIPAL WASTE GO NOW? Landfills in Metropolitan Area 87% Landfills outside Metropolitan Area 8% that could seep into groundwater. This will make it easier to monitor and maintain an environmentally acceptable facility. Nuisance impacts —odor, noise, dust, litter and traffic — will be less. This benefit, coupled with a lower level of environmental risk, may lessen the potential for decrease in the market values of adjacent properties. Economic gains may accrue through development of industry to process and utilize waste materials. Use of solid waste as fuel can play a limited role in reducing reliance on fuels imported into the region. The physical stability of processed wastes may make new landfills more amenable to productive uses after they are closed. What Needs to Be Done The regional plan now being developed by the Council will set goals for waste reduction and processing, and a time- table for achieving them. It will also identify how much landfill capacity will be needed for residual materials and establish a schedule for developing and disposal facilities. The Council is drafting that plan now. Master plans developed by the counties will identify steps to achieve the goals in the Council's regional plan. Cities, townships and counties will need to develop programs to reduce waste, recover usable materials and process the remainder for energy or other products. Planning and developing large-scale projects, like waste - burning plants, will be done under the counties' direction. Programs such as recycling and composting of leaves, grass clippings or other yard wastes will involve cities and townships as well as the counties. After 1990, only residuals from waste utilization processes, like ash, or some special wastes, like demolition debris, would go to landfills. Figure 3 shows how municipal waste would be dealt with in the future. Requiring the Separation of Yard Waste and Recyclable Materials at the Source by 1988 Proposed Legislation The Council proposes legislation requiring cities, townships and counties to adopt ordinances by 1988 that make sure yard wastes (like leaves and grass clippings) and recyclable materials (like glass bottles and newspapers) are not mixed with other solid wastes. Why Action Is Needed Now The proposal is needed to support the goal of diverting all unprocessed municipal waste from landfills by 1990. It will also assure local governments and the private sector that these materials will be available —an assurance that is needed before dependable reuse programs can be developed. Benefits Glass, newsprint and metals can be recovered and reused. Composting yard waste creates a desirable product for landscaping, gardening and agriculture. Source separation captures a cleaner, higher - quality product and lowers costs of processing the remaining waste material. These materials represent a sizeable portion of the total waste stream —yard waste alone can be 60 percent of a household's waste in summer, perhaps as much as 18 percent over a year's time. By recovering these materials less landfill space is used; existing landfill space will last longer; fewer new landfills will be needed. Figure 3 HOW COULD MUNICIPAL WASTE BE MANAGED IN THE FUTURE? Incineration and Co-composting (wit wwaga 4040 Waste Reduction 2%