Dive Brief:
- Dane County, WI's new $5.2 million construction & demolition waste recycling facility is projected to generate 19 new jobs and shave $600,000 off residents' taxes each year since recyclables will now be processed locally rather than shipped out. Recycling locally will mean that eight semi loads will no longer travel to Appleton, WI, cutting emissions by 550 tons per year.
- The facility will be operated by a private contractor who will initially take in 40,000 tons of C&D material annually and sell the recyclable products. That figure will grow to 75,000 tons per year at an unspecified future date. The operation is aiming for a 70% recycling rate.
- This project earned Dane County special recognition from the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin who honored the municipality with the Outstanding Achievement in Recycling – Private-Public Partnership Award for 2016.
Dive Insight:
More municipalities are entering into private-public partnerships to launch recycling in their own communities, helping governments to generate jobs and divert from their landfill while reducing traffic that would otherwise run through their town and beyond to haul waste elsewhere.
Meanwhile their private counterparts often end up with the chance to capitalize on the recyclable materials, marketing them and owning them exclusively. Dane County is especially satisfied with the environmental and economic benefits it foresees coming from the deal.
"This new facility will extend the life of our landfill, recycle more materials, save millions for taxpayers and create jobs," said County Executive Joe Parisi to Waste Management World. "This facility will be run on waste heat from our landfill and continues our efforts to increase our renewable energy for all of our county facilities."
He calls the venture a win for taxpayers and a win for the environment.
