HDR to develop materials management plan for Michigan county

Officials in St. Clair County, Michigan, have selected HDR to develop a countywide materials management plan that will integrate sustainable waste solutions, address current solid waste management concerns and meet Michigan’s new statewide regulatory waste management requirements.

HDR, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and and with offices throughout the U.S. and globally, is conducting an analysis of the county’s current solid waste management practices and infrastructure to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation. Based on its findings, HDR plans to develop and propose a series of solutions aligning with county requirements and regulations and provide support throughout implementation. 

In 2024, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, or EGLE, initiated a new process requiring each county to prepare a materials management plan rather than the previously required solid waste management plan. This change represents a significant shift in thinking and planning, from waste and landfill management to sustainable materials management focused on resource recovery, waste reduction and recycling, HDR says.

“The shift represented by EGLE Part 115 reflects the circular economy transition we’re seeing across the U.S.,” HDR Project Manager and Business Development Leader, Michigan, Lara Zawaideh says. “From extended producer responsibility regulations in Colorado and Maryland to Minnesota’s Hennepin County targeting a 90 percent diversion rate, the approach to waste management is evolving. It’s exciting to partner with St. Clair County to redefine its approach to materials management well into the future.”

Zawaideh and EPR lead Dan Bacehowski tell Recycling Today Media Group via email that planning for the project began in December 2024, with the first county planning committee meeting directed at materials management planning (MMP) in January 2025. "The baseline evaluation and data gathering on the existing waste management systems/volumes in St. Clair County will occur through the end of Q1 2025. Stakeholder engagement with facility operators, collections companies and other community-related organizations will occur through late 2025," with drafting occurring in mid-to-late 2025.

They add that draft iterations and final MMP plan development will conclude in early 2026 with initial implementation steps coming from the plan and note that these efforts are funded in part by EGLE, along with additional funding for implementation of the plan.

Zawaideh and Bacehowski say the MMP process will look at traditional waste materials as resources, with the MMP process replacing the solid waste management planning process in Michigan.

"EGLE is driving towards less landfilling and more circularity in the waste system (i.e., putting things back into use) via recycling, composting, reuse, etc.) For St. Clair County, this will likely mean expansion of those diversion programs, such as organics management expansion through improved yard waste drop-off, collection or even food waste drop-off and collection. It also could mean the development of a regional MRF [material recovery facility] that can manage recyclables in the county or an improved transfer option to promote movement of these materials to a nearby facility outside of the county," they continue. "The idea is to have local leaders thinking about how these programs can exist or be improved and what the method is for sustainably funding the MMP solutions."

*This item was updated Feb. 5 to add additional details from Zawaideh and Bacehowski.