Illinois county’s solid waste plan aims to reduce recycling costs

A new solid waste plan for McLean County, Illinois, aims to make it easier for residents at multifamily residences, such as apartment complexes, to recycle, a report by WGLT says. Michael Brown, executive director of the Ecology Action Center (EAC), Normal, Illinois, notes in an interview with WGLT that the county’s new 20-year solid waste plan would make recycling services more accessible while addressing other waste concerns.

This new plan, which could be in effect through 2037, would offer recycling services based on “geographically dense areas” such as apartment complexes.

The need for a new solid waste plan in the county has been expedited by the scheduled closing of the McClean County Landfill in early 2018. McLean County waste processing is slated to become more expensive as waste will have to be trucked to the Pontiac Landfill in Livingston County, Illinois.

"The more geographically dense route makes it more cost effective for the waste hauler," Brown tells WGLT. "They're able to gather more volume of materials in a shorter amount of time with less fuel, less labor, less wear and tear on the vehicles." 

The new solid waste plan calls for a pilot program before 2022 to assess the proposal’s effectiveness and cost.

Pilot program to include construction and demolition recycling
Brown also noted that the EAC includes provisions that would enact ordinances covering construction and demolition (C&D) debris. The goal of the ordinance would be to increase the volume of C&D recyclable waste to lower cost.

"As far as route densification and volume increase to make it cost effective, those aren't things we can change through voluntary measures for the C&D recycling. C&D materials are intermittent and come from all over, so we can't densify that route. Volume, however, is something we can increase through an ordinance. Bringing the volume up could potentially bring the cost down," Brown tells WGLT.

The McLean County Land Use committee held a public hearing Dec. 7 to consider the plan. A public comment period is open until Jan. 4.