FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, Nov. 13, 2017
Contact: Steve Faber, Byrum & Fisk Communications, 616-726-7705
Kent County DPW kicks off stakeholder meetings for sustainable business park
Department working with community stakeholders to develop plan to divert waste from landfills into usable products
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) is kicking off stakeholder meetings as part of its master plan to develop a sustainable business park on 200 acres of land adjacent to the Byron Center landfill. The DPW will gather input from local stakeholders on its plan to build a facility focused on converting waste materials that would otherwise be dumped into the Byron Center landfill into usable products.
Kent County DPW is hosting a community meeting on Tuesday, November 14 at 7 p.m. at Byron Township Hall, located at 8085 Byron Center Ave. SW, to share plans and gather feedback for a future sustainable business park.
“Building a sustainable business park in Kent County will help our community cut down on trash buried in landfills and attract investment and jobs from companies that convert waste into usable products,” said Dar Baas, Director of Kent County DPW. “We have set a bold goal to divert 90 percent of trash from our landfill by 2030. Building a sustainable business park is an essential part of reaching that goal.”
The Kent County DPW is bringing together national and local experts to develop a master plan that will explore necessary improvements, costs, funding sources and a proposed implementation schedule for the sustainable business park. Each year, nearly 500,000 tons of discards pass through Kent County DPW facilities, and Kent County currently recycles only 8 percent to 10 percent of its waste. A preliminary examination of the Kent County waste stream estimates that 75 percent of waste currently destined for the Byron Center landfill could be reused, recycled or converted into new materials.
“The sustainable business park has tremendous potential for transforming the landfill into a community resource and attracting businesses and investment from across the country,” said Jennifer F. Porter, Senior Project Manager with solids waste management consulting firm Gershman, Brickner & Bratton Inc. and a planning team member. “The Kent County Department of Public Work has an opportunity to put West Michigan on the map as a leader in recycling and reducing waste, and we are excited for this new project.”
A variety of complementary businesses, entrepreneurs and startups that need access to raw materials could transform reclaimed or converted materials from the business park into new products.
“The sustainable business park provides an opportunity to forge new partnerships between the county and West Michigan businesses, all while reducing waste and improving our community,” said Tom Geyer, environmental sustainability manager at Trendway Corporation, a manufacturer of office furniture systems, movable walls, and seating. “As a business with a long, vested interest in West Michigan, we are excited to collaborate with the Kent County DPW as the master plan is developed.”
For more information about the sustainable business park, visit www.reimaginetrash.org.
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