Alpena County residents have until Oct. 30 to weigh in on a proposed Northeast Michigan materials management plan that would shape recycling goals across six counties and help Michigan pursue a 30% statewide recycling rate by 2029.
The Northeast Michigan Management Authority and Resource Recycling Systems presented the plan to the Alpena County Commissioners on Sept. 22. The proposal is now open for public comment, with comments accepted through a form available on the Alpena County website at alpenacounty.org/626/Materials-Management-Plan.
Why the plan is being developed
Michigan law now requires all 83 counties to create materials management plans. The requirement follows legislation passed in 2022 that replaced the state’s previous system, under which municipalities developed waste management plans and updated them every five years.
Resource Recycling Systems, a firm hired by the state, is assisting the Northeast Michigan Management Authority with the regional plan, according to NMMMA Executive Director Bailey Barr. NMMMA currently provides recycling services for Alpena, Alpena County, Alcona, Iosco, Oscoda and Montmorency counties.
The plan is connected to changes to Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451. The stated goal is to increase Michigan’s recycling rate from 25% to 30% by 2029. If the region does not create its own plan, the state will impose one, according to the presentation described to commissioners.
What the proposal says about Alpena County
Recycling information for Northeast Michigan remains limited. Data gathered by RRS indicates that the region’s recycling rate is below 10%, compared with the state’s expected baseline recycling rate of 25%. The proposal notes that more information is available for Alpena County than for the other counties, but significant data gaps remain.
Alpena County currently meets one proposed benchmark: providing at least one recycling drop-off site for every 10,000 residents in a county with fewer than 100,000 people and no curbside recycling program. The county has seven drop-off sites serving approximately 29,000 residents, exceeding that benchmark.
The proposal also identifies another goal for Alpena County because it includes both a city and a township with more than 5,000 residents. The county is expected to work toward ensuring that at least 90% of single-family homes in municipalities above that population threshold have access to curbside recycling by January 2028.
That 2028 date is described in the proposal as a benchmark rather than a firm deadline for curbside service to be operating. Instead, the county would need to demonstrate its intent and plans to work toward providing the service.
Regional goals and public input
The proposed materials management plan outlines 14 goals for the region, along with objectives for county leadership. The plan also includes separate recycling benchmarks for neighboring counties.
Alcona County is working toward a goal of providing at least one recycling drop-off center per 10,000 residents, without curbside service, that remains open at least 24 hours per month by 2032. Montmorency County has the same proposed benchmark. The plan says Montmorency residents have identified Atlanta, Hillman or Lewiston as preferred locations for a drop-off center.
For Alpena County residents, the immediate next step is reviewing the proposal and submitting comments before the Oct. 30 deadline. The public-comment period gives residents an opportunity to respond before the regional plan moves forward under Michigan’s statewide materials-management requirements.