Dive Brief:

• Henson Disposal and Recycling of Bloomington will begin handling Normal, IL’s recyclable construction and demolition (C&D) waste for $627,000 in a one-year agreement, saving the town $3,000 in tipping fees, and Bloomington may enter a similar agreement with the company, according to the Pantagraph.

• The move is largely driven by the town’s push to reach its 40% recycling goal in the next two years and to be proactive, as the McLean County landfill is slated to close by June 2017. Michael Brown, executive director of the Normal-based Ecology Action Center, told the Pantagraph "there's a low chance" of a new landfill being built "given the proximity of other landfills."

• Henson, recently permitted to receive the county’s C&D, just received Normal’s first load Monday.

Dive Insight:

McLean County has been inching closer to a 40% recycling rate, currently holding at 37%. Adding this service to Normal and Bloomington’s waste management mix will push the county to 40.6%, based on 2014 figures.

"We’ve been hovering near 40% for several years but unable to cross that threshold," Brown told the Pantagraph. "This should carry us nicely over."

Besides pumping diversion rates, Normal anticipates potential for cost savings at a time when it may face more budget challenges, as the city considers the possibility of investing in a new landfill or paying to haul materials out of the area. And the trash is piling up. McLean County generated 226,000 tons of waste in 2014, representing a 16% increase from 2013.

"We’re going to help all of us save more money (by recycling)," Brown told the Pantagraph. The actual impact will only first be assessed in 2018, he said. But he added that the looming closure of the McLean County Landfill "really makes this pertinent right now."