Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office recently renamed its Solid Waste Division to Materials Management Division. The change better reflects the division’s mission to manage materials responsibly to keep them in use rather than focusing on how to manage waste. Public Works Director, Theo Eggermont, stated “This is an exciting change that aligns the division’s name with our goals of reducing waste by managing materials in a way that puts value back into our community”.
The current services offered by the Materials Management Division, such as the Home Toxics Center and County Clean-Up Days, will remain. The
division is looking forward to building upon other programs that will help reduce waste in our community such as the Turning Trash to Treasure guide, compost education, and the Waste Reduction Sponsorships Program.
The change also comes not long after updates to Part 115 (Michigan’s Solid Waste Law) in March 2023. The updates shift Michigan’s focus from ensuring long-term landfill capacity to bolstering recycling, composting, and waste reduction. One of the results of the changes to Part 115 is that counties in Michigan will soon be called to create Materials Management Plans instead of their current Solid Waste Management Plans.
Learn more about the Materials Management Division at Washtenaw.org/recycle.
The Materials Management Division works to reduce waste, improve recycling, and keep toxins out of the environment. Our efforts help put materials to their best use and provide value to the community.