Voters in Delta County will be asked to renew 0.297 mills for a 10-year period on the Aug. 4 ballot that will support operations at Delta Wide Recycling. (Daily Press file photo)

ESCANABA — Delta County voters will be asked to renew a countywide millage on the Aug. 4 ballot that helps fund recycling, composting and household hazardous waste programs at Delta Wide Recycling.

The Delta Solid Waste Management Authority (DSWMA) oversees the Delta County Landfill, , located at 5701 19th Ave. N., and houses the Delta Wide Recycling center and compost site.

The proposal would renew 0.297 mills for a 10-year period that will support operations at Delta Wide Recycling. The millage currently generates about $475,000 annually for DSWMA programs and has helped fund a portion of the center’s operating costs over the past decade.

For a home with a taxable value of $100,000, the millage would cost about $29.70 per year, or roughly $2.50 per month.

During Tuesday’s Delta County Board meeting, Delta County Landfill Administration Manager Terri Rabitoy outlined the proposal and the recycling center’s initiatives.

“There’s a big push with EGLE currently,” Rabitoy said, referring to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. “They want to increase recycling to 45 percent by 2032. Last year, we were at about 8 percent in Michigan. This is a big expense.”

According to Rabitoy, if voters do not approve the renewal, landfill officials would need to increase waste disposal rates by at least $10 per ton in 2027 to maintain current services.

“We don’t want to raise the rates,” Rabitoy said. “That’s not our goal.”

That increase would support existing recycling operations and would not cover additional expenses associated with expanding recycling capabilities, such as an addition to the recycling center.

The landfill previously operated under a solid waste management plan that outlined how waste generated in the community would be handled and disposed of. Officials are now developing a materials management plan through the Central Upper Peninsula Materials Management Planning Committee alongside other communities.

“We are looking to do an educational program to try to improve the type of recycling that comes into the landfill,” Rabitoy said. “Last year, we had $7,760 in waste that we threw out that came in in the recycling stream — things like garbage, clothes, compostable materials and dead animals.”

She said public education is a key goal, pointing out that some residents treat recycling bins as an additional trash container.

“If we can teach the public proper recycling techniques, then we can reduce the waste,” Rabitoy said.

As part of the center’s upcoming recycling efforts, $55,000 will be used to purchase additional roll-off dumpsters to accommodate increased recycling volumes. Officials also plan to launch a two-part educational campaign, with $4,500 allocated for one portion of the program. Funding for the second component has not yet been determined.

Rabitoy said the county would be required to pay project costs upfront before seeking reimbursement from EGLE. The Delta County Board approved the expenditure request.

Recycling efforts at the landfill began in 1992, and since then the center has diverted 57,801 tons of recyclable materials from the landfill, Rabitoy said.

She also said the household hazardous waste program, established in 1998, has kept 269.32 tons of hazardous materials out of the landfill.

“In the last five years since I’ve taken over, we have been able to increase the types of materials that are recyclable,” Rabitoy said. “We take more plastics — everything except Styrofoam — now.”

She said the recycling center also accepts additional types of cardboard products, including beverage cartons and food boxes such as cereal and cake mix packaging.

The DSWMA operates its own budget, though grants received from EGLE are administered through the county and placed into a fund that allows the landfill to undertake significant projects and improvements.

Rabitoy said upcoming changes to the materials management plan will likely require an additional recycling drop-off site in Delta County to accommodate increased recycling volumes.

As the state seeks to boost recycling rates, Rabitoy said the DSWMA is focused on expanding services, reducing contamination and preparing for future growth.

“We’re working on new things every day,” Rabitoy said.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.