Integrated solid waste management stakeholder process
to achieve greenhouse gas reduction, energy conservation, and environmental protection
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) 2007 Solid Waste Policy Report recommended that a multi-stakeholder group be convened to address long term policy needs that can help meet greenhouse gas reduction goals through solid waste management activities. In December 2008, the MPCA contracted with the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) to design, lead, and facilitate the stakeholder process. The stakeholder group was charged with developing strategies to reach the goal, set by the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group, of reducing at least 75 million metric tons of greenhouse gas from solid waste management activities by 2025. The process focused on four major population areas (centroids) that encompass 17 counties where approximately 70% of the solid waste in the state is generated.
The Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) Stakeholder Process was built around a 17 member work group that included representatives from environmental groups, waste management industry, and local units of government. The work group met during the first half of 2009 and then recessed for the summer to allow centroid subgroups, composed primarily of local government staff, to develop implementation plans that would meet their respective regional greenhouse gas reduction goals. In the fall of 2009, the work group reviewed the centroid plans and developed their own plan, composed of strategies based on the Waste Management Hierarchy (Minn. Stat. §115A).The majority of the recommended strategies focused on reducing waste and increasing recycling and composting rates. Materials from the ISWM Stakeholder Process, including the final report, may be downloaded below.
The MPCA plans to work with public and private sector partners to implement stakeholder-developed recommendations resulting from this project.
Final Report
