Waste_Diversion_Report.pdf

Waste Diversion Report

Dane County Sustainability Campus 4402 Brandt Road Madison, WI 53718

Prepared for:

Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way Madison, WI 53713

25222288.00 | September 10, 2024

2830 Dairy Drive Madison, WI 53718-6751

608-224-2830

Waste Diversion Report www.scsengineers.com i

Table of Contents

Section Page

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... vi Introduction

1.1 Background

1.2 Waste Diversion Background (or landscape)

1.3 Purpose

1.4 Waste Diversion Goals

1.5 Project Pillars

1.6 Factors Influencing Waste Diversion

Existing Waste Reduction and Recycling Landscape

2.1 Current Dane County Waste Diversion Programs

2.2 State-Mandated Waste Diversion

2.3 Waste Haulers Serving Dane County

2.4 Major Employers

2.5 Landfill Customers and Incoming Waste

Waste Streams

3.1 Waste Characterization Study Data

3.2 Additional Waste Streams Identified By Dane County

3.2.1 Furniture

3.2.2 Mattresses

3.3 Emerging Waste Streams

3.3.1 Electronics and Batteries

3.3.2 Solar Panels

3.4 Waste Streams Currently Diverted by W&R

3.4.1 C&D

3.4.2 Brush and Logs

3.4.3 Household Hazardous Waste, Electronics, and Batteries

3.4.4 Tires, Shingles, and Scrap Metal

3.4.5 Organics

Existing Reuse, Repair, and Recycling Organizations in Dane County

4.1 Summary by Material Group

4.2 Glass

4.3 Paper

4.4 Plastic

4.5 Metal

4.6 Other Waste

4.6.1 Clothing/Textiles

4.6.2 Home Goods

4.6.3 Mattresses

4.6.4 Carpet

4.7 C&D Debris

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4.7.1 Drywall

4.8 Problem Materials

4.8.1 Light Bulbs

4.8.2 Batteries

4.8.3 Electronics

4.8.4 Large Appliances / White Goods

4.8.5 Tires

4.9 Organics

4.9.1 Food Scraps

4.9.2 Edible Food

4.9.3 Yard Waste

Stakeholder Feedback

5.1 Department Feedback

5.1.1 Kick-Off Meeting

5.1.2 Workshops

5.2 Waste Hauler Feedback

5.3 Diverter Feedback

5.4 Major Employers

5.5 Key Stakeholder Takeaways

Potential Diversion Options

6.1 Waste Reduction and Reuse

6.1.1 Fix-It Clinics

6.1.2 Enhanced Exchange/Donation Options

6.1.3 Food Waste Recovery/Rescue

6.1.4 Salvage/Deconstruction

6.1.5 Smart Waste Bins

6.1.6 Policy Implementation

6.2 Organics Material Processing Technologies

6.2.1 Anaerobic Digestion

6.2.2 Composting

6.2.3 Biochar Production

6.3 Mechanical Material Processing Technologies

6.3.1 Mattress Recycling

6.3.2 Solar Panel Recycling

6.3.3 Enhanced C&D Recycling

6.3.4 Mixed Waste Processing (MWP)

6.4 Combustion/Incineration

6.5 Advanced Recycling/Chemical Recycling

6.5.1 Pyrolysis

6.5.2 Gasification

6.5.3 Hydrothermal Treatment

6.5.4 Depolymerization

6.5.5 Purification

6.5.6 Plasma Arc

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6.5.7 Autoclave

6.5.8 Other

6.6 Combined Technologies

6.7 Markets for End Uses of Diverted Material

Policy Evaluation

7.1 Evaluation of Existing Policies Elsewhere

7.2 Evaluation of Existing Dane County/Wisconsin Policies

Recommendations

8.1 Waste Diversion by Material Type

8.1.1 Organics

8.1.2 Plastics

8.1.3 Paper

8.1.4 Problem Materials

8.1.5 Bulky Waste

8.1.6 Construction and Demolition Debris

8.1.7 Solar Panels

8.2 Implementation Approach

8.3 Policy and Programmatic Recommendations

8.4 Other Considerations

8.5 Alignment with Project Pillars

8.6 Next Steps

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Tables

Table 1. Project Phases and Schedule Table 2. Guiding Principles Table 3. Largest Dane County Employers Table 4. Waste Material Category and Component List Table 5. Dane County Landfill C&D Composition Table 6. Number of Existing Organizations Identified in Dane County Table 7. Advantages and Disadvantages of Anaerobic Digestion Table 8. Advantages and Disadvantages of Composting Table 9. Advantages and Disadvantages of Biochar Production Table 10. Advantages and Disadvantages of Mixed Waste Processing Table 11. Advantages and Disadvantages of Combustion/Incineration Table 12. Advantages and Disadvantages of Pyrolysis Table 13. Advantages and Disadvantages of Gasification Table 14. Advantages and Disadvantages of Purification Table 15. Advantages and Disadvantages of Plasma Arc Table 16. Advantages and Disadvantages of Autoclaving Table 17. Possible Additional Organics Diversion Opportunities Table 18. Possible Additional Plastics Diversion Opportunities Table 19. Possible Additional Paper Diversion Opportunities Table 20. Possible Problem Material Diversion Opportunities Table 21. Possible Bulky Waste Diversion Opportunities Table 22. Possible Additional C&D Waste Diversion Opportunities Table 23. Possible Solar Panel Waste Diversion Opportunities

Figures

Figure 1. Present Service Area and Surrounding Landfills Figure 2. Dane County Population Growth Figure 3. Rodefeld Waste Disposal & Dane County Population Figure 4. Dane County Employment by Industry Figure 5. Overall Category 1 MSW Dane County Waste Composition, by Weight Figure 6. Dane County Waste Composition, ICI and Residential, by Weight Figure 7. Dane County C&D Composition by Weight Figure 8. Overall Category 1 MSW Dane County Waste Composition, by Uncompacted Volume Figure 9. Overall Category 1 MSW Dane County Waste Composition, Comparison of Weight to Volume 19 Figure 10. Ranking of Wasted Food Pathways Based on Circularity Figure 11. Wasted Food Scale Figure 12. Anaerobic Digestion System Components Figure 13. Example Mixed Waste Processing Facility Process Figure 14. Chemical Recycling Processes v

Appendices

Appendix A Background and Waste Characterization Historical Waste Tonnages List of Potential Large Waste Generators Overall Statewide Waste Profile Dane County Waste Composition WDNR Waste Sort Category and Material Definitions Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors

Appendix B Currently Available Waste Diversion Outlets

Appendix C Stakeholder Feedback

Kickoff Meeting Minutes for the Waste Diversion Report Department Engagement Workshop #1 Minutes Waste Hauler Questionnaire Waste Diverters Questionnaire Major Employer Questionnaire

Appendix D Waste Diversion Technologies

Example Facility Data Additional Diversion Options Findings

Appendix E Example Waste Diversion Policies and Regulation

Appendix F Existing Policies and Regulations

Appendix G Sustainability Campus Economic Summaries by Synergy

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Waste Diversion Report evaluates and recommends opportunities for waste diversion at the proposed Dane County Sustainability Campus. With limited landfill space remaining at the Rodefeld Landfill, the Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables (W&R) envisions the development of a Sustainability Campus co-located next to a new landfill. This Campus will host waste processors, recycling businesses, public waste drop-off facilities, research and startup companies, and/or art and education entities. The Campus is intended to foster economic development, job creation, and reuse opportunities for materials, moving Dane County towards a circular economy where waste is viewed as a resource.

Overview

The report summarizes current waste diversion entities in the area, identifies potential diversion opportunities, and provides recommendations for phasing in additional waste diversion opportunities at the Campus. It includes a detailed analysis of existing waste streams, stakeholder feedback, policies to promote diversion, and potential diversion technologies.

Summary of Key Findings

1. Waste Streams: The 2020-2021 waste characterization study identified that organics, paper, and plastics make up a significant portion of the Dane County waste stream, with organics alone accounting for 34 percent by weight. Such high composition ratios in the existing waste stream make these categories potential prime candidates for diversion opportunities. Other waste materials identified for potential diversion included bulky wastes, such as mattresses and furniture, and emerging waste streams, such as solar panels.

2. Current Waste Diversion Programs: Dane County has implemented various recycling and resource recovery programs, including the Clean Sweep program for hazardous materials, construction and demolition waste recycling, and tire and shingle recycling. Municipalities in Dane County provide curbside collection and/or drop-off locations for recyclables. Other entities within Dane County provide various opportunities for reuse or recycling through drop-off programs, repair, or resale.

3. Stakeholder Feedback: Throughout the report, key stakeholders, including waste haulers, major employers, and community organizations, provided valuable insights into current challenges and opportunities for waste diversion. Stakeholder groups identified food waste, mattresses, furniture, and batteries as materials to target for diversion.

4. Potential Diversion Options: Potential waste diversion approaches range from simple to highly technical, and may target a specific waste item (e.g., mattresses), a specific waste type (e.g., organics), or the entire MSW stream. Options include reuse approaches, organics material processing technologies, mechanical material processing technologies, waste combustion, and advanced/chemical recycling. These options are discussed and evaluated in the Waste Diversion report, and the planned Request for Information (RFI) process will provide additional data for evaluation.

5. Policy Evaluation: Statewide, county, and/or municipal policies could enhance waste diversion efforts. Policies that have been successfully implemented elsewhere can provide a model for Dane County efforts. Examples include Extended Producer Responsibility for targeted items, organic waste disposal bans or incentives, and policies supporting food rescue.

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Recommendations

Materials recommended for further evaluation and potential diversion include organics, plastics, paper, problem materials, bulky waste, C&D debris, and solar panels.

The report recommends a phased approach to target materials for diversion, defined by short, medium, and long-term goals:

• Short-term goals (0-5 years):

– Implement proven, easily implementable approaches that will provide additional outlets for customers interested in diverting waste. This would entail a version of source separation, which has the best results when people are invested in it, not forced to participate.

– Gather information on targeted material sectors and potential components of the Sustainable Business Park through the planned RFI process and continued stakeholder engagement.

– Include a residential drop-off area at the Sustainability Campus for resource recovery.

This can include a series of bins to collect clean wood, C&D, metal, recycling, rigid plastics, mattresses and box springs, and trash, for example.

– As currently planned, start organics diversion under a contract with Purple Cow to manage food waste and organics in the county, starting January 1, 2025. The agreement includes the City of Madison’s organic waste (food waste and leaves) by April 1, 2026, as required by the County’s agreements with the City of Madison.

Purple Cow will compost the materials, along with yard waste accepted at the County landfill and from other municipalities.

– Continue to work with surrounding municipalities and businesses (e.g., grocery stores, restaurants, businesses with cafeterias) to secure additional food waste feedstock for diversion.

– Identify approaches and partners for enhancing diversion through education, policies, and programs within the Dane County community.

– Develop the Sustainable Business Park Area Plan to guide future development. Set aside space at the Sustainable Business Park for a future emerging waste technology that may be further vetted and ready for implementation longer term. RFI feedback scheduled to be solicited in 2024 can help guide the amount of space to consider setting aside.

• Medium-term goals (5-8 years):

– Construct a updated Clean Sweep facility at the Sustainability Campus to enhance operations and be able to accommodate increased/expanded electronics collection as electrification of products expands.

– Partner with a non-profit organization to construct a retail/thrift store on the Sustainability Campus to accommodate reuse of items with remaining life. Consider viii including space for fix-it clinics. This can target additional construction materials, home goods, lawn goods, and bulky items.

– Begin to develop the Sustainable Business Park following the Area Plan.

– Continue to work with surrounding municipalities and businesses (e.g., grocery stores, restaurants, businesses with cafeterias) to secure additional food waste feedstock for diversion.

– Perform an updated waste sort to get an updated understanding of incoming waste characterization.

• Long-term goals (8+ years)

– Install landfill gas processing system to generate renewable energy (RNG, electricity, combined heat and power).

– Construct an on-site organics management system such as an anaerobic digester, compost facility or similar. Consider the benefit of co-use of the landfill gas processing system for AD biogas.

– Re-evaluate emerging waste diversion technologies along with updated waste sort and landfill gas processing plant capabilities.

– Re-evaluate the viability of emerging technologies as they continue to develop and as full-scale facilities potentially come on-line.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

With limited landfill space remaining at Dane County's Rodefeld Landfill (Rodefeld Landfill), the Dane County Department of Waste and Renewables (W&R) wants to redesign how the community’s waste is managed. The vision includes the development of a Sustainability Campus co-located next to a new landfill. The Campus will host waste processors, recycling businesses, and even research and startup companies. The Campus is expected to bolster economic development in the area, create jobs, and foster reuse opportunities for materials that will help Dane County move toward a more circular economy. The intent is to design the site for safe public access, education, and recreation where visitors can examine their relationship with waste and the Dane County community can move towards a future where waste is not a liability, but a resource and an opportunity.

The Sustainability Campus project proposed for the eastern portion of the Yahara Hills Golf Course property is envisioned to include a business park focused on waste diversion, public waste drop-off facilities, a waste education center, and a landfill. Dane County and the City of Madison have previously collaborated to approve land sale and business development agreements to enable the project.

Comprehensive planning efforts for the Sustainability Campus began the summer of 2023, and local teams from SCS Engineers (SCS) and Vandewalle & Associates (V&A) have been selected as consultants to lead this process through its completion in 2026. The primary phases of the project are outlined in Table 1.

Table 1. Project Phases and Schedule

1. Waste Diversion Report

Summer 2023- Winter

Evaluate and recommend opportunities for waste diversion at Rodefeld Landfill to help inform opportunities to advance recycling research, material diversion opportunities, and identify potential feedstock for recycling or reuse efforts. This evaluation will include research into the end uses of diverted material, market of those end uses, and identify potential feedstock for recycling or reuse efforts.

2. Existing County Facility Evaluation

Winter 2023-2024

Outline a comprehensive strategy and list of considerations for the types of businesses, community spaces, and activities that should be located at the Sustainability Campus, at the Rodefeld Landfill site, and at surrounding County-owned properties, or other satellite locations. This will assist Dane County with evaluating the need for additional planning efforts.

3. Request for Information for Potential Campus Tenants

2024 Prepare a Request for Information (RFI) for potential tenants to respond to as identified through the Waste Diversion Needs and Recommendations Report or other targeted businesses interested in assisting Dane County achieve its waste diversion efforts. This RFI will be used to aid in the Business Development Report and development of the Metrics Report.

4. Business Development Plan

Winter through Summer

Prepare a Business Development Plan identifying anticipated tenants of the Sustainability Campus, potential funding sources and business models for each anticipated tenant, economic analyses for each anticipated tenant, and recommendations for the types of innovative technologies to explore at the Dane County Sustainability Campus.

5. Metrics Report

Winter

Prepare a Metrics Report that contains measurable and obtainable metrics to gauge the success of the Sustainability Campus. Metrics may be used to measure initiatives related to waste diversion activities, landfill gas utilization, advancing the local circular economy, sustainable infrastructure, or education, research, and outreach.

6. Sustainability Campus Area Plan

Fall 2025- Spring

Prepare an Area Plan that provides a development framework for the Sustainability Campus. The Area Plan will describe the vision for the Campus (including guiding principles centered around safety, equity & inclusion, and sustainability), measures of success (goals and metrics developed through the Metric Report), Campus components (identifying the various aspects of the Campus, ancillary components, and other features), phasing, and project impacts (such as materials diverted and rescued landfill space, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, energy generated, opportunities to enhance equity & inclusion, and opportunities to enhance the local economy).

1.2 WASTE DIVERSION BACKGROUND (OR LANDSCAPE)

With resource constraints and rising material costs affecting all levels of the supply chain across industries globally, new outlets for waste materials are emerging. Every day seems to bring a new article on potential emerging or improved ways to process and sell materials to third parties; compost;

anaerobically digest with energy recovery; and breakdown specialized material for advanced recycling and repurposing.

Diversion strategies can vary greatly in terms of the waste type(s) diverted, the location of diversion (pre-collection or post-collection), the drivers for diversion (regulatory, economic, environmental, social), and the mechanisms for diversion. At one end of the scale, targeted diversion of specific items, such as Dane County’s existing bike reuse program or a mattress recycling program, can provide social benefits or remove a problem material from the landfill waste stream. At the other end of the scale, large-scale waste processing with or without energy recovery can impact almost all waste avenues.

Nationally, organics diversion is a focus of significant effort, including food waste reduction efforts. Food waste reduction is also a local goal. In September 2021, the Madison Common Council adopted a resolution to set a food waste diversion goal of 50 percent from the landfill by 2030 and commit to establishing metrics for measuring and tracking progress. Madison’s goal is aligned with the State of Wisconsin’s1, the United States2, and United Nations3 Sustainable Development Goal of 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2030.

Keys to success for waste-management systems, whether long-standing or emerging, are the ability to aggregate waste flows into meaningful volumes around which businesses can be developed and the ability to organize the supply chain at high levels of operational efficiency and environmental and societal effectiveness. Some emerging waste stream technologies, such as advanced plastics recycling and pyrolysis technologies are actively being developed through technological innovations. These technologies are often more complicated and potentially not fully vetted or proven in the eyes of all involved, such as regulators, environmentalists, community members, and others. Alternatively, some emerging waste stream markets and technology are not centered around complicated technology, but rather identifying new users of materials, or more out of the box reuse of materials or recycling opportunities.

1 State of Wisconsin. 2020. Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change Report. Madison, Wisconsin.

2 US Environmental Protection Agency. 2021. United States 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal. United States 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal | US EPA 3 United Nations. 2023. Target 12.3: Food Loss & Waste. 12.3 Food Loss & Waste | SDG 12 Hub http://www.scsengineers.com/ https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/united-states-2030-food-loss-and-waste-reduction-goal https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/united-states-2030-food-loss-and-waste-reduction-goal https://champions123.org/target-123

Challenging waste streams prompt emerging technologies and markets. For example, renewable energy systems can produce waste that is complex and difficult to recycle. Solar panels and wind turbines, for example, contain rare earth elements as well as other valuable materials such as steel, copper and glass.

But they can also contain hazardous materials. In addition, the logistics to recycle them can be complicated, with high volumes of material needing to be recovered from often remote locations. Dane County has implemented solar farms in the county to help meet the County’s Climate Action Plan goal to cut countywide emissions in half by 2030 and be carbon-neutral by 20504. Research is also ongoing for challenging waste streams, including chemical upcycling of waste plastics research being conducted locally at the UW-Madison.

1.3 PURPOSE

The Waste Diversion Report phase is intended to identify materials that can be separated from the waste stream currently sent to the landfill, such as food waste, mattresses, furniture, certain types of plastics not currently recycled, etc. These materials can be used as inputs into the creation of new products or resold, repurposed, or otherwise redistributed to avoid their end of life in the landfill.

Key Questions to be answered:

• What kind of waste diversion opportunities exist in Dane County and surrounding region?

• Are there waste diversion gaps in the area?

• Who already operates in this space locally?

To address these questions, the Waste Diversion Report includes the following elements:

• Description of the waste reduction and recycling landscape in Dane County (Section 1.6)

• Characterization of the existing waste streams (Section 3.0)

• Identification of existing reuse, repair, and recycling opportunities in Dane County (Section 4.0)

• Local stakeholder feedback regarding existing and potential waste diversion (Section 5.0)

• Identification of potential diversion options (Section 6.0)

• Evaluation of existing and potential waste diversion policies (Section 7.0)

• Recommendations for potential waste diversion materials and approaches (Section 8.0)

1.4 WASTE DIVERSION GOALS

Under the requirements of the Sustainability Campus and Landfill Development Agreement with the City of Madison, Dane County will be following this plan with Requests for Information and Requests for Proposals to best identify companies and organizations to achieve a commitment of the following:

• Diversion of at least four separate waste types, or

• Identification of waste streams equal to at least 50 percent of the total incoming waste to the landfill as identified by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) waste sort performed in 2020 to 2021 (see Section 3.1).

1.5 PROJECT PILLARS

The following guiding principles presented in Table 2 were developed at the outset of this project. Their intent is to provide value statements that help the project team make decisions to determine project direction and course.

4 State of Wisconsin. 2020. Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change Report. Madison, Wisconsin.

Table 2. Guiding Principles

Community • Function as an asset to the local community while providing a comprehensive service for safely and responsibly managing materials.

• Provide enriching educational programming to equip community members with tools and resources for moving towards and sustaining a circular economy.

• Prioritize safety and welfare of staff and community members.

Circularity and Innovation

• Create a local circular economy, centered on waste and pollution reduction, keeping products and materials in use locally, and renewing & restoring natural systems.

• Reduce, reuse, and recycle waste in new and innovative ways.

• Develop new ways to measure and assess effectiveness and the quality of programs and services on an ongoing basis.

Environment and Climate

• Protect the health of the local environment and enrich biodiversity.

• Build climate resiliency through sustainable design, maintenance, and operation of the Campus.

• Invest in renewable energy and carbon neutrality.

Economic • Create financially sustainable programs that support the Campus and its vision.

• Support and be a benefit to the local economy by forging public & private partnerships, and relationships with our neighbors that combine diverse strengths, skills, and resources.

• Ensure staff and community members have access to training and job skills development to provide equitable access to a meaningful role in our vision for the future.

1.6 FACTORS INFLUENCING WASTE DIVERSION

The following factors influence the diversion of waste.

• Government regulations and policies: Government regulations and policies play a significant role in shaping waste diversion strategies. Laws mandating recycling, composting, and waste reduction can influence the way businesses and individuals manage their waste. Section 7.0 addresses policies and Section 8.3 provides policy recommendations.

• Economic factors: The cost of waste disposal services can impact waste diversion strategies.

Higher fees may incentivize businesses and individuals to reduce waste and increase diversion efforts. Economic factors will be further considered as part of the Request for Information process planned for the Sustainability Campus planning process.

• Technology and infrastructure: The availability of diversion facilities as well as advancements in waste management technology can impact waste diversion strategies. Access to convenient diversion options can encourage people to divert waste from landfills. The proposed Sustainability Campus is intended to provide convenient access to waste diversion opportunities in the area.

• Public education and awareness: Public education campaigns and outreach efforts can influence waste diversion strategies by raising awareness about the importance of waste diversion. Well-informed individuals are more likely to participate in waste diversion programs.

Dane County has performed several public education and awareness activities and plans to continue to perform these types of activities throughout the Sustainability Campus Area Planning. Events include open houses, presentations, website updates, stakeholder meetings and developing a marketing campaign.

• Cultural and social factors: Cultural norms and social attitudes towards waste management can impact waste diversion strategies. Waste diversion strategies in some communities may be more widely accepted, leading to higher diversion rates. Dane County has implemented waste diversion opportunities in the past with success (Section 2.0), indicating that the social attitudes towards waste management in the area are favorable for additional diversion opportunities.

• Business practices and industry standards: The waste diversion strategies of businesses and industries can have a significant impact on overall waste diversion efforts. Companies that prioritize sustainability and waste reduction can set an example for others to follow. The largest employers in the area have sustainability goals that include waste reduction/diversion (Section 5.4), which can influence priorities of the Sustainability Campus.

• Geographic location: The availability of waste diversion services can vary depending on the geographic location. Urban areas may have more robust waste diversion programs compared to rural areas, impacting the strategies that individuals and businesses can implement. The proposed Sustainability Campus is located in an urban area, surrounded by a combination of rural and urban communities.

EXISTING WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING LANDSCAPE

The Sustainability Campus and future waste diversion efforts will be implemented within the existing landscape of waste and materials management in Dane County and the surrounding region. The following sections provide general background on the existing environment and landscape affecting waste diversion in Dane County and Wisconsin

2.1 CURRENT DANE COUNTY WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAMS

Within Dane County, recycling and resource recovery programs have been implemented for many years.

These include voluntary and mandatory programs for industrial, commercial, and municipal waste.

Among communities within Dane County, many have similar waste reduction and resource recovery practices. A majority of the larger communities have implemented mandatory curbside pickup of recyclables with a regular schedule. Other smaller communities in the county have drop‐off centers where recyclables are collected. The County also operates the Clean Sweep program which provides a centralized location for residents and business owners to drop off hazardous materials and electronics.

The Clean Sweep program also works with county communities to host regional and municipal collection events for hazardous waste and electronics. The program diverts these hazardous materials and electronics from the landfill and lowers environmental health risks associated with improper disposal.

Other landfilling waste reduction programs Dane County provides or actively supports, include:

• Shingle recycling

• Tire recycling

• Clean wood, brush, and logs processing

• Renewable Natural Gas production from landfill methane

• Renewable electricity generation at closed landfill

• Electronic equipment recycling

• Mercury and fluorescent bulb recycling

• A directory of site locations for recycling centers

• Financial support for ENACT and ReStore

• Bicycle exchange program

• Clean Sweep product exchange program

• Sharps disposal program

• Grant program to support organics diversion

• Partnerships with local organizations and nonprofits for education support

• County ordinances that support recycling

As a measure of the success of the programs listed above, Dane County estimates the following waste diversion and effective reuse rates achieved in 2023 at Dane County Landfill Site No. 2 (Rodefeld Landfill):

• 823 tons of tires were recycled into playground tile or incinerated for energy.

• 55,340 tons of construction & demolition material was processed for recycling.

• 1,781 tons of brush and logs were ground into wood chip to be used as animal bedding and mulch.

• Over 3.7 million equivalent gallons of gasoline were produced by the renewable natural gas facility.

• 6,678 tons of shingles were recycled into asphalt.

• 40 tons of products reused through Clean Sweep's exchange program.

• Over 96 tons of electronics were processed for recycling.

Dane County Ordinance section 41.25 bans landfill disposal of grass clipping and leaves, electronic devices, and oil filters and oil absorbent materials.

2.2 STATE-MANDATED WASTE DIVERSION

Recycling efforts have impacted waste disposal and historically driven diversion rates in Wisconsin. In 1989, Wisconsin Act 335 (Recycling Law) established prohibitions on landfilling certain types of waste, and in subsequent years the legislature has added to the list of prohibited items. The following items are now banned from landfills and incinerators statewide and are expected to be reused, recycled, or composted:

Containers

• #1 and #2 plastic bottles and jars

• Aluminum containers

• Bi-metal cans

• Glass containers

• Steel (tin) cans

Yard materials

• Grass clippings

• Debris and brush under 6-inches in diameter

• Leaves

Paper and cardboard

• Corrugated cardboard

• Magazines, catalogs, and other materials on similar paper

• Newspaper and newsprint materials

• Office paper

Vehicle items

• Lead-acid batteries

• Tires (may be burned in a solid waste treatment facility with energy recovery)

• Used oil filters

• Waste oils (may be burned in a solid waste treatment facility with energy recovery)

Appliances

• Air conditioners

• Boilers

• Clothes dryers

• Clothes washers

• Dehumidifiers

• Dishwashers

• Freezers

• Furnaces

• Microwaves

• Ovens

• Refrigerators

• Stoves

• Water heaters

Electronics

• Cell phones

• Computers – desktop, laptop, netbook, tablet

• Computer monitors

• Computer keyboards and mice

• Computer scanners

• Computer speakers

• Desktop printers (including those that fax and scan)

• DVD players, VCRs, DVRs, and all other video players

• External hard drives

• Fax machines

• Flash drives/USBs

• Other items that plug into a computer

• Televisions

State administrative rules require that municipalities with populations of 5,000 or more and with an aggregate population density of at least 70 persons per square mile provide curbside collection of newspaper, glass, aluminum, and steel containers, #1 and #2 plastic containers, corrugated cardboard, and magazines at least once a month from single family and two to four unit residences. They must also provide drop-off collection for other materials not collected at curbside. As stated in Section 2.1, many communities in Dane County provide this service, often at a rate of 2 times per month.

Municipalities with populations less than 5,000 or an aggregate population density of less than 70 persons per square mile must provide either curbside or drop-off collection for single-family and two- to four-unit residences.

The existing regulatory landscape and its impact to the Sustainability Campus is discussed in further detail in Section 7.0.

2.3 WASTE HAULERS SERVING DANE COUNTY

The Dane County landfill receives waste from a variety of generators, including residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial. Waste is brought to the landfill via waste haulers. Based on a review of the cities, towns, and villages located in Dane County, the majority have organized hauling within their communities, where the municipality either performs or contracts with a private hauler to perform the waste and recycling pickup for residences and multi-family with four units or less (some communities cover recycling and waste services for multi-family residences with up to eight units). Dane County’s largest single source of waste is from the City of Madison, which collects waste and recycling for its residents, but multi-family with more than eight units are serviced by private haulers. In the municipalities surrounding Madison, a majority of the residential communities are currently served by Pellitteri Waste Systems, which disposes waste at the Rodefeld Landfill. Other haulers active in Dane County include LRS, John’s Disposal, Town & Country, GFL, and Waste Management (WM). Hauling contracts are competitive and are subject to change over time.

Businesses and larger multi-family units (generally more than four units) directly contract individually with private haulers for waste and recycling collection. This is referred to as an open hauling system. Waste haulers who service open haul systems may include those listed above as well as other haulers that do not have current municipal contracts in Dane County, such as City Waste, Inc., and PDL.

Curbside recyclables from the City of Madison are currently hauled to the Pelliteri materials recovery facility (MRF) in Madison. Recyclables from other municipalities in Dane County are hauled to the Pelliteri MRF or to another MRF, depending on the hauling contract and agreement among haulers. Recyclables collected by Pellitteri are processed at the Pellitteri MRF, while other haulers without their own MRF (e.g., John’s Disposal, Town & Country) send recyclables to the Pellitteri MRF or to another MRF within reasonable distance of Dane County. WM owns a MRF in Madison and currently contracts hauling with the Village of Cottage Grove.

If curbside collection of additional recyclable or reusable materials were implemented, doing so in municipalities with contracted or municipally ran curbside services, rather than those with open haul or drop-off systems, would be easier for expansion and education.

Non-traditional waste hauling companies refer to businesses that offer specialized waste removal services outside of the conventional general waste and recycling collection systems. Some of the most common non-traditional waste hauling companies include dumpster providers, organics collection companies, and junk haulers.

SCS conducted interviews with various haulers to seek feedback on the Dane County Sustainability Campus waste diversion efforts. These interviews are detailed in Section 5.0.

2.4 MAJOR EMPLOYERS

Major employers within Dane County are potentially large generators of waste or specific materials that need to be managed through diversion or disposal. This waste is not necessarily being disposed of at the Dane County Landfill, but generators are able to provide valuable input on their waste generation quantities and types; existing waste diversion efforts; desired waste diversion goals, whether that is an improvement to existing diversion applications or new waste diversion applications; and feasibility. Major employers have been identified as potential large waste generators in the Stakeholder Engagement Plan and are shown in the table in Appendix A.

The Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) is the economic development agency for the eight-county Madison Region of south-central Wisconsin and maintains a database of businesses within Dane County. Per the MadREP website, 1.87 percent of businesses have 100+ employees and the largest private-sector employers in Dane County include Epic, UW Health, American Family Insurance, Exact Sciences, CUNA Mutual, and PPD5. The largest employers identified by MadREP are detailed in Table 3.

Table 3. Largest Dane County Employers

Employer City Number of Employees

University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison 15,000 + UW Health Madison 15,000 + State of Wisconsin Madison 5,000 – 9,999 Epic Systems Corp Verona 5,000 – 9,999 American Family Insurance Madison 1,000 – 4,999

SCS conducted interviews with various employers to seek feedback on the Dane County Sustainability Campus waste diversion efforts. These interviews are detailed in Section 5.0.

5 https://madisonregion.org/our-counties/dane/

2.5 LANDFILL CUSTOMERS AND INCOMING WASTE

In Dane County’s current local agreement, only 10 percent of waste disposed of at Dane County Landfill is allowed to be from outside of Dane County. The actual quantity of out-of-county waste accepted is far less and this option is only exercised in unique circumstances. The majority of Dane County’s waste is disposed of at the Dane County Landfill, but not all of it. As described above, municipalities commonly contract for waste collection and disposal, as do owners of industrial, commercial, institutional, and large multifamily residential facilities. This sometimes results in waste leaving the County, typically if a contracted hauler also owns a landfill, such as GFL or WM. The service area for the Dane County Landfill and the locations of other landfills receiving waste from Dane County are shown on Figure 1.

Figure 1. Present Service Area and Surrounding Landfills

As shown on Figure 2 and Figure 3, Dane County has experienced steady growth in population over the past decade, with the exception of large growth from 2021 to 2022. On average, the population of Dane County has grown by approximately 1.7 percent annually over the last 10 years, and growth is projected to continue.

The population projections in Figure 2 were prepared by the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission as part of a trends report6 for the region.

6 Capital Area Regional Planning Commission. 2021. Regional Development Framework Trends Report. 2021-Regional- Trends_10-27-21.pdf (capitalarearpc.org) http://www.scsengineers.com/ https://www.capitalarearpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2021-Regional-Trends_10-27-21.pdf https://www.capitalarearpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2021-Regional-Trends_10-27-21.pdf

Figure 2. Dane County Population Growth

The amount of waste disposed of at the Dane County Landfill has increased with population growth as shown in Figure 3. However, the disposal rates are more varied between years. The average annual waste disposed has grown by 8.2 percent on average over the past 10 years.

Figure 3. Rodefeld Waste Disposal & Dane County Population

Incoming waste to the landfill is comprised of approximately 71 percent residential waste (including 41 percent from the single-family sector and 29 percent from multi-family units) and 29 percent institutional/commercial/industrial (ICI) waste, based on 2019 data provided to SCS by the Dane County Landfill for the 2020-2021 Wisconsin Statewide Waste Characterization Study. Detailed historical waste disposal quantities and population data are located in Appendix A.

Major industries can provide insight into commercial waste generation in the county. Figure 4, from the Statistical Atlas, graphs the percentage of the employed population by Industry in Dane County utilizing 2020 U.S. Census Results7.

7 https://statisticalatlas.com/county/Wisconsin/Dane-County/Industries

450,000

480,000

510,000

540,000

570,000

600,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Po pu la tio n

W as te D isp os ed (t on s)

Rodefeld Waste Disposal & Dane County Population

Total Waste Disposed (tons) Dane County Population

Figure 4. Dane County Employment by Industry

In 2020, the WDNR contracted with SCS to update Wisconsin’s statewide Waste Characterization Study.

Dane County’s Rodefeld Landfill participated in the Waste Characterization Study, which is discussed in more detail in Section 3.1.

Dane County-specific results for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) (Category 1) are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Overall Category 1 MSW Dane County Waste Composition, by Weight

Detailed Statewide and Dane County MSW Waste Composition data from the Waste Characterization Study are presented in Appendix A.

WASTE STREAMS

The 2020 to 2021 WDNR Waste Characterization Study categorized waste materials into 85 categories, as presented in Table 4. Detailed descriptions of waste types are included in Appendix A.

PAPER, 20.3%

PLASTIC, 15.5%

METAL, 3.3%

GLASS, 3.0%

ORGANICS,

34.0%

CONSTRUCTION

& DEMOLITION,

6.2%

PROBLEM

MATERIALS,

3.8%

OTHER WASTE,

6.7%

END OF SAMPLE

FINES, 7.2%

Table 4. Waste Material Category and Component List

Paper Construction and Demolition Debris Organics Newsprint (ONP) Treated wood Yard materials – <6” High grade office paper Untreated clean dimensional lumber Yard materials – >6” Magazines/catalogs Untreated clean engineered wood Food scraps (not traditionally edible) Uncoated OCC – recyclable Painted/stained wood Wasted food Coated OCC Other recyclable wood Diapers Boxboard Rock, concrete, brick Animal waste/kitty litter Cartons – gable top/aseptic Gypsum wallboard – demo Bottom fines/dirt Mixed paper – recyclable Gypsum wallboard – clean scrap Other organic material Compostable paper Roofing shingles Metal Other paper PVC Aluminum beverage containers Plastic Ceramics/porcelain fixtures Other aluminum PET (#1) bottles/jars Other C&D Ferrous ("tin") cans Natural HDPE (#2) bottles/jars Problem Materials Other ferrous scrap Colored HDPE (#2) bottles/jars Televisions – CRT Non-ferrous metals PP (#5) bottles Televisions – non-CRT Other metal

Other (#3, #4, #6 and #7) bottles Other banned electronic equipment Glass PET (#1) non-bottle rigid containers and packaging Non-banned electronic equipment Clear containers - beverage HDPE (#2) non-bottle rigid containers and packaging Small electrical appliances Colored containers - beverage PP (#5) non-bottle rigid containers and packaging White goods – refrigerated Glass food containers PS (#6) non-foam, non-bottle rigid containers and packaging

White goods – non-refrigerated Other glass

Other (#7)/unidentifiable non-bottle rigid containers and packaging

Lead-acid batteries Other Waste

Rigid non-packaging Other batteries Textiles Bulky rigid plastics Fluorescent light tubes Carpet PE recyclable film Compact fluorescent light bulbs Carpet padding Agricultural film Tires Wood pallets Pouches Paint Bulky items Other flexible films Automotive used oil/filters Mattresses and box springs PS foam (#6) Household hazardous waste Wood furniture Compostable plastics Sharps, needles, lancets Aerosol cans Other plastics Other problem materials Compressed gas containers

3.1 WASTE CHARACTERIZATION STUDY DATA

The 2020-2021 WDNR Waste Characterization Study concluded that:

“Despite the State’s and many communities program and policy efforts to reduce waste and encourage recycling, there still remains opportunities for increased diversion. Organic waste, specifically wasted food and food scraps, remain the most prevalent materials in the disposed waste stream throughout each region and statewide. This study may provide some useful data the State can use to encourage and promote programs such as edible food recovery, food donation, and composting to reduce the amount of food waste being disposed.”

Sampling and sorting occurred at the Rodefeld Landfill on September 28 to 29, 2020, for MSW and Construction and Demolition Debris (C&D) characterization, with additional C&D characterization performed on March 18 to 19, 2021. Rodefeld Landfill Waste Characterization Study results are consistent with statewide results. Historical waste acceptance rates at the Rodefeld Landfill are provided in Appendix A.

The Waste Characterization Study examined waste from both ICI and Residential waste sources and categorized results based on weight. The waste composition for Dane County ICI waste compared to Residential waste are shown in Figure 6.

ORGANICS, 38.6%

ORGANICS, 23.2%

PAPER, 18.0%

PAPER, 25.6%

PLASTIC, 13.9%

PLASTIC, 19.4%

END OF SAMPLE FINES, 8.4%

END OF SAMPLE FINES, 4.4%

CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION, 6.4%

CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION, 5.6%

PROBLEM MATERIALS, 4.2%

PROBLEM MATERIALS, 2.9%

OTHER WASTE, 4.1%

OTHER WASTE, 12.9%

METAL, 3.3% METAL, 3.2%

GLASS, 3.1% GLASS, 2.8%

RESIDENTIAL ICI

Figure 6. Dane County Waste Composition, ICI and Residential, by Weight

The Waste Characterization Study also focused on C&D (Category 25) wastes. Dane County C&D waste compositions are shown in Figure 7. This represents the C&D material sent to the Dane County C&D facility.

Figure 7. Dane County C&D Composition by Weight

TREATED WOOD, 19.0%

UNTREATED CLEAN

DIMENSIONAL LUMBER,

2.4%

UNTREATED CLEAN

ENGINEERED WOOD,

4.3%

PAINTED/STAINED

WOOD, 0.6%

ROCK,

CONCRETE,

BRICK, 4.8%

GYPSUM WALLBOARD -

DEMO, 11.9%

GYPSUM

WALLBOARD -

CLEAN SCRAP, 6.9%

ROOFING

SHINGLES, 1.3%

PVC, 2.1%

CERAMICS/PORCELAIN

FIXTURES, 1.3%

OTHER C&D, 19.6%

PAPER, 4.7%

PLASTICS, 1.1%

METALS, 4.3%

GLASS, 3.7%

ORGANIC MATERIALS, 0.4%

PROBLEM MATERIALS, 2.2%

OTHER WASTE, 9.3%

OTHER MATERIALS,

25.8%

C&D was included in the Waste Characterization Study by analyzing C&D in the landfilled waste stream as well as analyzing C&D at the Dane County Landfill C&D recycling facility. Comparison of the two results are presented in Table 5.

Table 5. Dane County Landfill C&D Composition

Construction and Demolition Debris Category

Residential/ICI Waste

C&D Facility Waste

Treated Wood <0.1% 19.0% Untreated Clean Dimensional Lumber 1.0% 2.4% Untreated Clean Engineered Wood 0.6% 4.3% Painted/Stained Wood 0.8% 0.6% Other Recyclable Wood <0.1% 0.0% Rock, Concrete, Brick 0.3% 4.8% Gypsum Wallboard - Demo 1.5% 11.9% Gypsum Wallboard - Clean Scrap <0.1% 6.9% Roofing Shingles <0.1% 1.3%

PVC <0.1% 2.1%

Ceramics/Porcelain Fixtures 0.3% 1.3% Other C&D 1.5% 19.6% Other, non-C&D Materials 93.8% 25.8%

Using volume-to-weight conversion factors published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) (Appendix A), the estimated uncompacted volume of MSW materials at Rodefeld Landfill based on the 2020 to 2021 Waste Characterization Study is presented in Figure 8.

Figure 8. Overall Category 1 MSW Dane County Waste Composition, by Uncompacted Volume

PAPER, 14.2%

PLASTIC, 53.1%

METAL,

5.2%

GLASS, 1.1%

ORGANICS, 13.9%

CONSTRUCTION &

DEMOLITION,

3.2%

PROBLEM

MATERIALS,

1.2%

OTHER

WASTE, 6.4%

END OF SAMPLE

FINES, 1.8%

A comparison of the composition of Dane County MSW by weight and by volume is shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Overall Category 1 MSW Dane County Waste Composition, Comparison of Weight to Volume

A total of 20 MSW samples were sorted at the Rodefeld Landfill, 14 Residential samples, and 6 ICI samples. 155 C&D samples were examined. Each MSW sample was a 220-pound sample of waste from a collection vehicle selected at random. The sampling procedure resulted in limitations to the collected data. For example, no mattresses were included in the Rodefeld Landfill sampling, which is not representative of the incoming waste stream. Sampling also excluded collection vehicle loads that did not appear representative of a mixed MSW sample. Rodefeld Landfill accepts a variety of waste loads, including those that appear to be primarily one type of waste. These types of loads were not captured in the Waste Characterization Study.

ORGANICS, 34.0%

ORGANICS, 13.9%

PAPER, 20.3%

PAPER, 14.2%

PLASTIC, 15.5%

PLASTIC, 53.1%

END OF SAMPLE FINES, 7.2%

END OF SAMPLE FINES, 1.8%OTHER WASTE, 6.7%

OTHER WASTE, 6.4%CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION, 6.2%

CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION, 3.2%PROBLEM MATERIALS, 3.8% PROBLEM MATERIALS, 1.2%

METAL, 3.3% METAL, 5.2%

GLASS, 3.0% GLASS, 1.1%

WEIGHT VOLUME

3.2 ADDITIONAL WASTE STREAMS IDENTIFIED BY DANE COUNTY

As additional information, the City of Madison provided SCS with 2022 and 2023 data for large item collection8. Notably, the City collected over 10,000 items categorized as ‘Sofa/Couch/Chair’ in both 2022 and 2023. There were 8,449 ‘wood furniture’ items and 1,878 ‘other wood items’ collected in 2023.

The waste characterization study does not capture all materials accepted at the Rodefeld Landfill, and represents a single point in time.