The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) has set an ambitious goal of diverting 90% of the waste it manages from landfill disposal by 2030. GBB was commissioned to analyze the material characteristics and quantities of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in Kent County. The field data collection effort took place over two weeks at three different collection locations: the Waste-to-Energy Plant, the Transfer Station, and the Landfill. An additional, separate characterization study was conducted over three days to analyze single-stream recycling at the County material recovery facility. Both studies were based on the ASTM D5231 Waste Sort Test Methodology, with modifications to ensure safe and effective sample collection.

The waste characterization study sorted the waste into 50 material categories in 10 major groupings. In total, 12,935 pounds of waste were sorted, and the study found that Kent County has enough divertible waste to support the creation of the SBP, with 75% of the 612,000 tons per year of municipal solid waste generated being processable at a mixed waste processing facility, diverting it from landfills. The study found the top three categories of waste were 23% fiber, 19% organics, and 17% plastics.