Lenawee County's solid waste program faces financial challenges as costs spike

ADRIAN — Amendments to a state law are leaving Lenawee County’s solid waste program in a financial crunch.

“The cost of both the processing and hauling of recyclable materials has increased, and we will be facing finance challenges,” county solid waste coordinator Becky Borton said in an email.

The amendments were passed in December, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is now figuring out how to move forward with transitioning from solid waste to materials management and implementing the changes, Borton said.

The cost increases will be for the county’s recycling drop-off site only, Borton said.

“While actual costs are difficult to determine, the major increase is due to the hauling charge doubling since February of 2022,” Borton said.

The county has supported the effort of household recycling for several years without an additional funding source, which is atypical from other counties.

“As always, the Solid Waste Department continues to search for supportive funding options and is certain that the Solid Waste Coordinating Committee and the Board of Commissioners will carefully consider how to best serve Lenawee County residents,” Borton said.

There will be no impact on curbside service. The county solid waste program does not provide curbside services, only the recycling drop-off site at 307 River St. in Adrian. The county drop-off site provides all county residents with the opportunity to recycle their clean and dry plastic jugs and tubs, glass bottles and jars, tin cans and aluminum pans as well as paper and cardboard products.

The county has had a solid waste ordinance since 1994, which regulates import and export of trash and recyclables to and from the county. It requires licensing of commercial waste haulers to provide a means by which sound data can be collected and waste haulers can be tracked in case of illegal disposal or dumping, Borton said.

All commercial haulers doing business in Lenawee County are required to be licensed and report how much material they collect. In 2022, licensed waste haulers reported collecting 60,000 tons of solid waste materials and 12,500 tons of recycling materials in Lenawee County, according to Borton.

Although services vary, most municipalities provide trash service, curbside pickup, bulk item dropoffs, compost sites and special collection days.

Borton recommends that residents contact their municipality to confirm what is available as well as support and encourage these services at the municipal level.

Residents looking for a service provider or dumpster rental can find licensed haulers at lenawee.mi.us/986/Local-Waste-Haulers.

To reduce consumption, Borton recommends that residents shop wisely, reuse or donate, and recycle. Residents can visit lenawee.mi.us/262/Solid-Waste-Department for resources and follow the county’s solid waste program on Facebook and Instagram at LenaweeRecycle.      

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Recycling costs rising for Lenawee County