Milton advisory panel focuses on cardboard baseline, hauler reporting and compost options in MSWMP review

The Milton Sustainability Advisory Committee on March 10 reviewed draft goals for the city’s 2026 Municipal Solid Waste and Recycling Management Plan (MSWMP), directing staff to prioritize measurable baselines for city-controlled drop-off programs, collect clearer data from private haulers, and pursue community composting options.

Chair Charlie Lancelot opened the meeting and said he wanted the committee to “spend the bulk of the meeting tonight … talking about that” plan. Staff presented a six-goal framework that members discussed in turn: (1) increase recycling and diversion at city locations, (2) increase curbside recycling participation, (3) organics management, (4) promote sustainable practices, (5) build a trustworthy recycling and diversion program, and (6) improve curbside waste pickup.

On baselines and tracking, staff reported the city has rough data from private haulers and a recently expanded cardboard drop-off program. Committee members noted the city logged about 15–16 cardboard trailer hauls since mid-January and that drop-off sites such as Bell Park provide more reliable, city-controlled data than curbside figures from private haulers. Members recommended splitting the baseline work into two parts: (A) measuring existing city initiatives that the city can directly track (glass, cardboard at Bell Park) and (B) documenting new initiatives and materials to consider for drop-off. Chair Lancelot said prioritizing cardboard made sense because it is a high-volume commodity and offers a tangible place to “get our hands around” an initial baseline.

The committee pressed staff for better hauler reporting. Members said past surveys included only a subset of haulers, that some private haulers collect outside Milton (complicating provenance), and that annual hauler submissions often report total tonnage without a commodity breakdown. Staff agreed to pursue more complete reporting and suggested adding simple data fields to hauler renewal paperwork — numbers of households served, how many customers receive curbside recycling, and yard-waste participation — so the city can produce clearer participation rates.

Members also discussed whether Milton should seek a single curbside recycling vendor while leaving trash collection to the open market. Proponents said a dedicated recycling contractor could simplify tracking and increase uniformity of service; others emphasized the need to preserve a diversity of haulers to serve areas with narrow roads or long driveways. Committee members repeatedly urged outreach and education so residents know what materials are accepted and where they go, noting public cynicism that separated materials “end up in the same place” without visible evidence to the contrary.

On organics, staff described options ranging from neighborhood drop-boxes and third-party paid pickup to a centralized composting site on city property. The committee discussed working with third-party providers such as Compost Now, contacting local landscapers and HOA managers about high-volume yard-waste streams, and engaging nearby schools on composting curricula. Members proposed exploring pilot models at different scales and said the city should clarify whether finished compost could be made available locally for community use.

Committee members noted Milton’s recent Gold re-certification with the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and asked that the city publish the checklist of criteria met, both for transparency and to highlight programs that helped earn the recertification.

Next steps: staff will compile more complete hauler data, provide the detailed cardboard-haul weights and dates for initial baseline calculations, and workshop strategies to match each goal with implementation steps at the committee’s next meeting. The committee also agreed to poll members about moving the April meeting date (currently April 14) to avoid a scheduling conflict. Procedural motions to approve the agenda and prior minutes carried, and the group adjourned by unanimous consent.

Actions recorded at the March 10 meeting included approval of the agenda, approval of prior meeting minutes (with a noted adjournment-time edit), and a motion to adjourn. The committee did not adopt ordinances or make binding policy changes at this session; instead it directed staff to gather data and return with refined materials for the next meeting.