Cooperation in Rural Solid Waste Management.pptVIP

Cooperation in Rural Solid Waste Management Why and How to do it; Where to find guidance The Cooperative model is… A tradition of coalition building A strategy used to reach specific goals through the collaborative efforts of often disparate entities “Disparate entities” Traditionally, solid waste operators and recyclers have been considered, or considered themselves, as competitors Experience and anecdotal evidence is demonstrating that their activities are symbiotic It’s a natural! The concept of cooperation (co-ops) is a long-standing tradition in agricultural communities Can be most useful in creating diversion program options beyond the “basics” of MSW collection and disposal Composting Recycling Hazardous waste Large items white goods Diversion benefits Beneficial to solid waste operators who are interested in being in business for the longest possible time. Landfill capacity, even in rural facilities with low daily disposal amounts, is finite Beneficial to communities Gives them access to a nearby facility for a longer time Prolongs the time before which they have to go through the daunting task of finding or establishing a replacement disposal facility Beneficial to individual citizens: it can keep their fees lower Create win-win solutions by… Identifying common needs Opening channels of communication Pooling resources ‘Piggy-backing’ on available programs of a larger community or one already well-established and functioning Smaller/newer community can offer new services while larger/veteran program can obtain additional income or resources, plus greater volume that improves their market position or amount of final product Advantages Opportunities Economies of scale Sharing vs solitary shouldering of costs Grant monies can go farther Expanding program features offered Opportunities for diversion The arrangement can be loosely or formally structured; short, medium or long-term Loosely-based cooperation Usually begins with informal arrangements Usually i