Kent County Solid Waste Management Plan Amendment

Doug Wood, Director of Kent County

Department of Public Works at recent meeting

of  Kent County Township Supervisors

The Kent County Department of Public Works is committed to a fully integrated solid waste management system. This system includes: waste reduction, reuse, recycling, expanded education in resource recovery, incineration with energy recovery, composting and landfilling, as outlined in the Kent County Solid Waste Management Plan and proposed 2011 amendments. The public comment period began on December 19, 2011. The Public Hearing will be held on March 7, 2012 at 7:00 pm in the Road Commission building located at 1500 Scribner Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

The current recycling system for refuse disposal in Kent County aims to reduce the amount of solid waste sent for final disposal by volume reduction techniques and by various resource conservation and resource recovery programs. It also addresses collection processes and transportation needs that provide the most cost effective, efficient service.

A  presentation of the proposal (in PDF format) can be found here .

Inside the Kent County Material Recovery Facility at 977 Wealthy NW in Grand Rapids.  The facility offers tours and educational progams

The Materials Recovery Facility at  977 Wealthy SW, Grand Rapids is a sorting facility designed to accept residential recyclable materials. Recyclables are sorted according to type, then prepared for shipping to the next processor by pressing the recyclables into bales. Tours are approximately one hour in length and include a classroom discussion about recycling as well as a facility overview on the catwalk overlooking the functioning equipment. Kent County's new single-stream recycling facility began tours in September 2010. The facility offers a safe, clean environment to learn about recycling.