THE SUNFIELD RECYCLING CENTER PROJECT
Project Goals:
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The goals of the Sunfield Recycling Center Project are to:
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. Utilize existing county resources to reinstate resource recovery services in an underserved area of the county.
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Develop a more sustainable long-term funding mechanism to support and ensure the Sunfield Recycling Center’s continued operation.
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Actively evaluate the feasibility (in terms of operational costs and community/stakeholder involvement/interest) of county run resource recovery drop-off facilities.
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Assess the sites potential for the planning, development, and implementation of regional collaborative projects for interested stakeholders and other recycling related entities.
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Historical Background and Context:
Sunfield Township was historically involved in Eaton County’s Department of Resource Recovery’s Solid Waste Alternative Grant Program (SWAG). The site purchase and physical building construction of the Sunfield Township Recycling Facility was completed between 2003 and 2005. SWAG funds were approved and used by the site’s management administration for a range of operational expenses and improvement projects at the facility including things such as initial site purchase, building construction, equipment purchase (including heavy machinery), building & equipment repairs/maintenance, site staffing, and collected materials management.
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Despite acceptance and participation in the 2018-2019 SWAG program, the involvement was discontinued by the township in July 2019. Managing administration cited funding, material market values, and increasing visitation, particularly from users outside of Eaton County, as major reasons for this decision. Upon the site's closure, per the grant agreements between the department and the involved township, the county decided to lease the site and purchase the existing equipment with the intention to continue/expand recycling efforts at the site.
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Several months after the site's closure, the Village of Mulliken (a neighboring municipality that also participates in the SWAG program) agreed to re-open and operate the site. Through additional support from the SWAG program, the Village of Mulliken was able to contract the site’s original staff to operate the site for a period of six months, beginning in August 2019. This was discontinued by the Village of Mulliken in January of 2020. The village cited funding limitations and the SWAG reimbursement schedule as reasons for this.
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In terms of Eaton County recycling centers, the site's building (by standards of both physical construction and overall design) and its existing equipment are represent significant resources invested by the department though the SWAG program. Therefore, its material management capacity and capabilities offer an opportunity to utilize these county resources.
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From a local perspective, it may be argued that the site is located in a less effective location, as the site is located in the northwest corner of the county, which has a low population density and the majority of the site's service area is outside of the borders of the county. However, this location should also be considered from a regional perspective; Sunfield is a central point between Eaton, Barry, and Ionia Counties. This makes for an ideal location for collaborative regional efforts.
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After being nonoperational for eight months, the Eaton County’s Public Works and Planning Committee resolved in September 2020 that the Sunfield site will be reopened as a pilot project. The facility will operate as it had previously, with public drop-off hours and resource recovery participation, but will also focus on expanded objectives that are outlined above.