finding opportunity in waste

Reimagining Waste in Kent County

January 2018

Overview

Where we’ve been

Where we’re at

Where we’re going

Open Dumping in the Grand River (pre-1895)

Coal-fired Garbage Burner (1897)

Piggeries (early 1900s)

Dumps Featuring Open Burning 29 open dumps by 1965

An Integrated Solid Waste Management System including

+ Transfer Station+ Household Hazardous Waste Centers+ Recycling Drop-Off Stations

Waste To Energy Facility

Landfill

Single StreamRecycling Facility

• Regional ManufacturingCenter

• Regional Medical Center

• Regional Financial Center

• Regional Education Center

• Sustainability Hub• Green Building

Center

Growth from InnovationLandfill

In 2016, the South Kent Landfill tonnage increased 4% to 354,000.This is a 55% increase from 2010.

Landfill Characterization Study (WMSBF)

Zero Waste Study

W MI is an international center for office furniture manufacturing which generates high volumes of engineered wood waste.

2016 Landfill ReportsKent County:

1,882,611 cubic yards

OR

8 Van Andel Arenas

2 Big Houses

A Paradigm Shift

A Circular Economy in West Michigan

Construction & Demolition Debris

Processing

Composting

Energy Technology

Materials-specific Processing

Business Incubator

One-to-One Materials Exchange

Research

Sustainable Business Park Will Connect Potential With Opportunity:

Landfilling as a Last Resort

Instead of using these 200 acres for future landfill, we will develop a Sustainable Business Park that:

• Lays the critical infrastructure to

support a regional circular economy

• Leverages private sector

development

• Attracts business to localize the entire

recycling or conversion process

• Preserves open space

• Expands research

• Generates and uses renewable energy

• Begins to close the loop in West

Michigan

Waste Quantity & Characterization StudyMarket AnalysisTechnology Evaluation

Infrastructure & ZoningSite Plans

Stakeholder EngagementCommunications

Funding Sources & Mechanisms

Biofuels Compost & Soil Amendment

Landfill Solar Gas-to-Energy Bio-Digester

Ash Bricks Plastic Flake Wood

Examples:New clothingNew bottles

Examples:New palletsNew particle board

Clothing & Textile Recovery

Art from WasteConstruction &

Demolition MaterialsReuse

Examples: Textile recoveryArtist in ResidenceArchitectural Wood Salvage

Corrugated Cardboard

Metals

Examples: Improve recycling rateImprove quality of recyclables collected

PlasticsElectronics

• Recycling, composting, waste processing technology companies

• Education/University research center• Manufacturers• Start-ups• Artists-in-Residence• Green retail flagship site