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Solid Waste Planning
All counties in the state are required to prepare and implement a solid waste management plan. The Wayne County Solid Waste Management Plan is a comprehensive strategy that reduces dependency on landfills, promotes recycling and composting, and ensures that facilities sited within the County will serve the long-term disposal needs of Wayne County citizens. The Solid Waste Management Planning Section is responsible for all planning activities, enforcement of Plan provisions, data gathering (including waste generation initiatives and disposal and recycling rates), and providing for technical assistance to citizens and businesses in the County. The staff works closely with other governmental agencies in all areas of solid waste management.
Mission
To prepare and implement the Wayne County Solid Waste Management Plan, and to achieve a strong integrated approach to solid waste management that reflects the hierarchy of reduction, reuse, recycling and composting, followed by waste to energy, incineration and landfilling.
Functions
The Solid Waste Management Planning Section of the Land Resource Management Division is responsible for development and oversight of Wayne County's Solid Waste Management Plan. As such they are the waste management resource for Wayne County and its citizens. Specific duties include:
- Develop and coordinate public outreach programs that focus on resource recovery, recycling, reuse, and composting.
- Provide technical assistance and information to municipalities, citizens, and industry on solid waste management issues.
- Work directly with municipalities and solid waste disposal facilities in the collection of data necessary to track progress with the goals of the Solid Waste Management Plan
Municipalities and Solid Waste Disposal Facilities Click here for online waste stream reporting. - Maintain the Solid Waste Management Plan database and provide regular updates to municipalities regarding performance and goal accomplishments.
- Provide compost workshops to teach residents the benefits and proper method of backyard composting.
- Coordinate the Wayne County office paper collection program, which successfully recycles over 100 tons of paper annually.
- Provide information to residents on the proper disposal methods and disposal locations for Household Hazardous Waste.
- Coordinate Wayne County's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program offered four times per year.
Solid Waste Management Plan
Where to Take Waste
- Disposal of Home Medical Sharps - The Wayne County Department of Public Services encourages safe disposal of sharps. Sharps include syringes, needles, and lancets. Unsafe disposal can cause injury to others and contamination of the environment. You can help prevent injury, illness, and pollution by following some simple steps when you dispose of the sharp objects and contaminated materials you use in administering health care in your home. For information on disposal options, click here.
- Disposal of Unused or Unwanted Drugs - The U.S. Government has found that 80% of watersheds contain low levels of at least one type of pharmaceutical chemical, with half of our streams containing seven or more. Wastewater treatment facilities can’t filter these chemicals out, so many drugs are being detected in drinking water. The effects of most of these products are unknown, but increased concentrations of antibiotics in drinking water have produced "super bugs" - bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. The risks of long-term exposure of these substances to humans and animals are unknown. While recommended for many years, the practice of flushing unused or unwanted drugs down the drain is not the best option for human health or the environment. For proper disposal procedures, click here.
- Disposal of Used Electronics - Continual and rapid changes in the technology field can make high-technology equipment like computers, televisions, phones and other products obsolete very quickly. Many options are now in place to accept old and unwanted electronic items for recycling. Recycling outdated electronics helps in the safe management of their potentially hazardous components and supports the recovery and reuse of valuable materials. It also helps reduce the pollution and energy use tied to the production of new electronics. For information on how to recycle your used electronics, click here. For a list of e-waste items accepted, click here.
- Resource Recovery Guide - To download your complete resource for reuse, recycling, and disposal, click here.
Additional Program Information
- Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program
- Municipal Recycling Reports
- Outreach Programs
- Home Composting
