MARQUETTE, MI-- The Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority is transitioning to a single-stream recycling system.
Director of Operations Brad Austin says currently municipalities are gathering paper recyclables one week and plastic and metal materials the next. Single-stream recycling would allow the collection of all materials at one time.
Austin says new equipment with the ability to mechanically separate recyclables by grade will be coming online.
Over the past few years the MCSWMA saw a lot of recyclable material going into the landfill. Austin says they decided to switch to single-stream to engage more residents in recycling.
“Increasing participation, extending the life of the facility, and then the ability to put commodities to the market more effectively was a lot of the basis for the change,” he says.
Glass, which hasn’t been accepted at the landfill because of the lack of a market, will be processed by the new recycling equipment. Austin says it could be used for sanding local roads or as an aggregate for landscaping. Residents will be able to bring glass to the landfill for recycling, some municipalities may include it in their pickup schedules, or drop-off points may be established.
The new system is slated to go into effect in the fall of 2020.
