Increasing your infrastructure:

collection systems and facilities

Zero Waste

planning

policies

programs

resources

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Task One: Review and assess existing services.

Begin by determining the extent of any existing private recycling efforts, such as for-profit buyback centers, newspaper publishers that take back and recycle newsprint from the general public, oil change businesses that accept and recycle used motor oil, etc. Evaluate whether these existing businesses are capable of and interested in working with you to expand the services they provide or the materials they accept.

Task Two: Form a citizen's advisory committee.

Creation of a task force comprised of members with both technical expertise and community involvement can be one of the goals of your initial community planning workshop. This group will be involved in the process from the early stages, and will help to identify potential obstacles to successful implementation later on.

Task Three: Gather information.

Collecting technical information that will allow an informed decision regarding the type of collection program, and the type and design of your facility, may be the task of staff, task force members, or hired consultants; depending upon the size and structure of your community and the funding available to accomplish your goal.

Internet research, documents obtained from your state and local solid waste and recycling agencies, and studies performed for other, similar communities, are all useful in assessing your options. Whenever possible, make arrangements to actually visit a program or facility in operation, and to talk with the staff and managers, when gathering your information. It may turn out to be the practical details shared in a casual conversation that help to shape your decision even more than all the facts and figures you can accumulate. Does it look good on paper, or does it really work?

Task Four: Compare and select alternatives.

Work with the community and the task force to establish the criteria you will use to compare and select program alternatives. Evaluate the options on the basis of these criteria. Do the selected programs support the goals of the community? Will they enhance your ability to eliminate waste over time? Will they assist the community in operating in a sustainable and healthful environment?

If your community truly has no recycling services, a centralized drop-off recycling facility is the simplest way to begin. If this facility is located at an existing solid waste facility - landfill or transfer station - you will simplify the permitting and public hearing process significantly. However, bear in mind that even an existing facility may have neighbors, who will have concerns about increased traffic and other impacts.

If your existing drop-off recycling facilities are not sufficient to collect the quantities or the types of materials targeted by your plan, you will want to consider whether expanded drop-offs will meet your needs, or whether a residential and/or commercial collection system will be required. Can you add materials to existing drop-off facilities? Do you need additional facilities?

Rural versus urban:

Rural, small communities are likely to rely on drop-off facilities for recycling and composting, and may accept fewer materials than their urban counterparts due to the cost of transporting materials to distant markets. Participation in programs is often voluntary rather than mandatory, and services may be provided by the private sector, with costs paid by the users of those services. Local market development is even more important in rural areas, to help offset these transportation costs and to provide long term sustainability for collection programs. For more information on solutions specific to rural communities, see units 2 and 3, policies and programs.

Curbside collection programs for both recyclable and green waste materials are more common in larger urban communities, and are more cost effective in areas with higher population density. Participation may be mandatory, with greater likelihood of public program operation and funding support. Typical challenges confronting urban area programs include greater socio-economic diversity than rural areas, as well as the need for larger facilities to handle the quantity of materials collected, in areas where population density may make siting these facilities more difficult.

Task Five: Develop a time line and implementation schedule for selected alternatives.

Once the initial decision is made regarding what programs to implement, and the facilities needed to support them, an implementation plan can be created that shows the necessary tasks and time frames, and the responsible parties.

Task Six: Obtaining approvals, permits, and funding.

The length of time required to accomplish this task will depend on several factors:

How complex is the regulatory environment in your community?

How controversial is your project?

Have you developed effective public and political support for the project?

Is there someone working on the project who is familiar with the regulatory requirements?

In many communities, funding for the implementation of new programs and the construction of new facilities is even more challenging than the requirements of the regulatory process. In some cases, grant funding may be available to help. In others, both construction and operational costs will be borne by user fees or taxes. Finding someone in the community to participate in your advisory group who has expertise in facility planning and funding will be invaluable in helping to make the project a reality. If funding is limited, be sure you are not asking for a Cadillac when a Volkswagen would do.

Task Seven: Operate programs and facilities.

By the time you have completed all the steps prior to construction and implementation, it may feel like a very long road indeed. Yet in reality it is just the beginning. Construction delays, regulatory hurdles, weather, funding problems, and last minute community concerns will provide many more challenges to overcome before you are finally ready to open your doors.

But finally, your project will reach completion, in large part through your dedication, hard work and perseverance. The last brick will be placed, the last truck will leave the site, and at long last, you will be ready for operation.

Now is the time to take a deep breath, and say a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who helped make it possible. No matter how busy you are, or how much behind schedule your grand opening might be, this is the time to celebrate. Make sure you take the time to publicly thank all those who have helped make the vision a reality. Schedule a ribbon cutting, with media coverage, all the appropriate dignitaries, members of the advisory committee, and everyone else who has helped you through the process.

Once the facility is truly operational, hold an open house so that the public can get a close up look at the results of all those months (or years) of effort

If you have done your job well, the facilities and services you create will belong to, and become a lasting part of, the community itself.

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