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Board of Public Works Updates
January
In January, the Board of Public Works reelected board members, with no changes in leadership from the previous year. They also approved a Notice of Intent (NOI) to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to prepare a Materials Management Plan for the county. The planning process will kick off later in 2024 and is estimated to take up to three years to complete.
February
At the February meeting, the Board of Public Works approved the 2025 Capital Improvement Plan Budget which lays out multiple years of needed equipment, repairs, and facility improvements. They also received updates on several new state and federal grant initiatives that are providing funding for renewable energy and climate protection projects, including the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant through Grand Valley Metropolitan Council.
Stay up to date with the Board of Public Works
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DPW Facility Updates
 North Kent Transfer Station nears completion
The new North Kent Transfer Station building is erected and entering the final stages of construction. The new facility will feature dedicated doors for commercial haulers and a separate set of doors for residential customers, improving safety. A new scale house is also under construction that will enable additional capacity for inbound traffic and provide automated payment system for commercial haulers.
The whole site is being updated with new wayfinding signage that will improve safety for residents looking to recycle, dispose of household hazardous waste, special collection items, or trash.
Fire at Recycling & Education Center
A fire broke out at Kent County Recycling & Education Center on February 21. The facility was evacuated and the Grand Rapids Fire Dept. responded to assist with extinguishing the fire that had started in the recycling pile on the tip floor. No one was hurt and no equipment was damaged.
The facility was closed for about 4 hours before returning to regular sorting and processing. There is no long term damage and recycling drop-off and facility tours remain open.
The expected cause of the fire was a lithium ion battery which often end up in recycling carts instead of being properly recycled. No batteries of any type should go in a recycling cart.
More information on how to properly dispose of various types of batteries can be explored through our NEW Waste and Recycling Guide in the Electronics Category.
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Waste to Energy refurbishment projects stay on schedule
Significant headway has been made on the installment of a facility-wide Systems, Controls and Data (SCADA) platform. The project touches every aspect of the plant's control systems, so it will be a multi-year effort to be fully implemented. Future projects include new scrubbers for both boilers and a new cooling tower.
Stay up to date with all of our facilities
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Spring is around the corner
Get ready to clean out your garage and extra yard waste
While it may feel like spring, look like spring, and you may even hear sweet sounds of spring, we know it hasn’t truly arrived until we see signs of spring at the recycling center.
This time of year we start to see garden hoses, tires, flower pots, and plastic wrap from marinas, boats, campers, and hoop houses. As much as we love spring, we don’t love seeing these non-recyclable springtime items in curbside recycling carts.
If you're unsure whether an item can go in your cart or needs to go through a special collection, check out our website’s NEW Waste & Recycling Directory for a solution!
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Visit our website for a complete list of how to recycle or properly dispose of
all common household items.
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