About Regional Waste Management

In 2009, Pittsfield Township became the first community to institute single-stream recycling in Washtenaw County. However, since that time we have not been able to expand the quality or quantity of these services despite our best efforts. In other words, additional services such as composting or additional units such as businesses and multi-unit residential have not been added to Pittsfield's recycling program. The reason for the lack of improvements in service delivery are directly related to the sharp decline in market rates for recyclables, both in the United States and globally, and the inability of our service provider (Republic Services) to provide us with more expansive and better quality services, at a cost-effective rate.

As such, Pittsfield Township has been engaged in a regional discussion for the past year or so, spearheaded by the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commission, to establish a regional authority that would allow for a multi-jurisdictional partnership for waste management in Washtenaw County. At its February 27, 2019 meeting, the Pittsfield Township Board of Trustees approved entering into an Agreement to establish this regional authority: Washtenaw Regional Resource Management Authority (WRRMA). The immediate goals of this Authority are to provide consistency in materials management, citizen awareness and beneficial contracting positions for all solid waste and materials handling. The intent is for the WRRMA to be better positioned to bargain for rates and services that will improve upon what is currently available to residents and businesses in Pittsfield Township and Washtenaw County.