A multidisciplinary team led by GBB developed a holistic plan building on the firm’s deep understanding of the County’s past that incorporated the current state and realities of the solid waste management system and anticipated the trends, needs, and plans for the future.

As a first step, the county created a Solid Waste Work Group — composed of County leadership, community members, and industry representatives – to examine current solid waste collection and disposal policies and practices and make recommendations for implementing innovative industry practices and trash diversion strategies to reduce the overall volume of trash produced in the County.

Key to this fast-paced initiative was the GBB Project Team’s multi-pronged approach, which included:

• Detailed review of the County’s system and development of findings, best practices, and recommendations.
• An online survey of Baltimore County residents and businesses (in total approximately 6,000 responses for a county with a population of nearly 850,000)
• A series of eight virtual stakeholder meetings, during which findings and recommendations were reviewed and innovative, technologies and solid waste management solutions were discussed (video recordings of the meetings are available on the County’s Work Group webpage at baltimorecountymd.gov/boards-commissions/executive/solid-waste-work-group)

As a final step, the GBB Project Team developed the Final Report alongside the County and NMWDA, which included detailed descriptions of recommendations, schedule for implementation, estimated costs for implementation (both capital and operating), anticipated cost reductions or revenues gained, and anticipated change(s) in recycling and disposal tonnages.

The final report of the Baltimore County Solid Waste Work Group, offers 19 recommendations for implementing innovative industry practices and trash diversion strategies to reduce the overall volume of trash produced in the County:

• Collection
  • Establishing 5-year service agreements for haulers
  • Eliminating plastic bags for yard materials
  • Providing technical assistance to haulers
  • Purchasing new recycling carts
  • Implementing pilot projects to evaluate 3 service configurations
• Zero Waste – New Programs & Services
  • Advancing a Zero Waste Strategy approach for bulk items
  • Implementing a Zero Waste Education and Outreach Strategies program
• Infrastructure & Disposal
  • Transferring 215,000 tons/year from Eastern Sanitary Landfill to non-County disposal
  • Establishing a new Mixed Waste Processing
  • Outsourcing organics processing to a third party for pilot projects
  • Planning and permitting an Eastern Sanitary Landfill vertical expansion
  • Designing/Permitting/Building a new Western Acceptance Facility as the current one located in a flood plain
  • Adding yard material transfer capability at the Central Acceptance Facility
  • Planning for MRF Maintenance and Future Replacement
• Financial & Contracts
  • Conducting a Solid Waste Full Cost Accounting review
  • Establishing new system funding mechanisms
  • Promoting regional collaboration
  • Planning for a long-term process for collection
• Other Considerations
• Performing an organizational, staffing, and equipment review

Read the report here on Baltimore County’s website.