Thumb Region committee urges Lapeer-area officials to help shape multi-county material management plan

Rachel, a member of the Thumb Region Material Management Planning Committee, told county and municipal representatives that the committee is drafting a multi-county material management plan intended to pool resources, unlock state grant funding and meet new state recycling benchmarks.

The committee is pursuing a joint plan because the state’s new material management planning process provides financial incentives: $60,000 per county to write a plan, an additional $10,000 for each county added to a multi-county plan, and a separate per-capita grant (50¢ per resident, capped at $300,000) directed to material-management planning activities. Rachel noted those grants are reimbursement-based, meaning local governments must spend funds before seeking reimbursement from the state.

The plan responds to requirements in Michigan’s waste management law (Part 115) and associated state benchmark standards. The presenter summarized the state targets Rachel read from statute language: an interim goal of 30% municipal solid-waste recycling by 2029, and longer-term goals of 45% recycling plus a 50% reduction in food waste after 2030. The plan must also address organics (food and yard waste) and conventional recyclables such as paper, cardboard, metal and plastics.

A central near-term requirement the committee highlighted is the 2032 drop-off standard: counties must provide at least one public drop-off location for every 10,000 residents who do not have access to curbside recycling. Rachel said the City of Lapeer already meets the 2026 benchmark for curbside service in urban areas; after subtracting populations with curbside service, Lapeer County’s calculation indicates the county will need four qualifying drop-off sites. For a drop-off to qualify it must be open at least 24 hours per month and be accessible to all county residents; existing township drop-offs can count if they meet those access rules.

Rachel cautioned that if local units decline to prepare a county plan the state will produce a default plan, which she said would likely assume universal curbside recycling and would remove eligibility for the state grant funds the committee is pursuing. "If the state writes your plan, everyone is gonna have to have curbside recycling," she said, urging local officials to lead the planning process to retain local control and grant eligibility.

The committee is also reviewing an economic-impact study prepared for the state that estimates the annual value of materials currently disposed of in landfills (paper, plastic and metal among the largest components). Rachel summarized the committee’s aim to keep as much of that material value local as possible so recycling programs can be more financially self-sustaining and support local jobs; she cautioned the study’s dollar estimates rest on simplifying assumptions.

Committee members noted operational experience on the panel (including a member who runs the Tuscola County recycling center) and said they will work with counties and townships between now and 2032 to site drop-off locations, address management and access rules, and develop necessary recycling infrastructure. The presenter said local units must approve the county plan—at least 67% of municipalities that respond must approve—before the plan goes to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) for final review.

Rachel urged officials and residents to review the formal draft when it is released and to attend the public hearing and comment period expected early next year. "So just remember to come to the public hearing and review the draft plan when it comes to you," she said.

The committee asked local officials to identify possible drop-off locations and to raise questions or concerns during the upcoming public-comment period so the final plan reflects local preferences and constraints.