As part of its attempt to leave the landfill business behind, Kent County, Mich., held a three-hour information session with several businesses on the state of the county’s solid waste management operations. The session was part of the county’s request for information regarding innovative strategies that could assist in the goal of diverting 90 percent of waste from landfills by 2030.

The county has also proposed the idea of a sustainable business park situated on land that was originally set aside for landfill expansion. Participants in the tour and information session included local firms as well as international companies from France and the Netherlands.

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The hope is that partnerships with private business might make Kent County ground zero for innovative new waste-based technologies -- something Baas said he hopes could be a boon for local development while simultaneously stunting the growth of the looming pile of trash at South Kent Landfill in Byron Township.

With annual trash volumes at the landfill steadily increasing, Baas admitted the project is easily "the most significant undertaking" the county department has ever attempted.

About 20 businesses participated in an information session the county hosted Wednesday, March 28. Michigan and Grand Rapids-based firms were also joined by representatives from companies based out-of-state in Texas, Arizona, Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Colorado and others based out of the country from as far away as Canada, France and the Netherlands.

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