County of Middlesex
In the early 1990's Middlesex County recognized the need to develop and implement an integrated, effective and efficient County-wide recycling plan that would enhance the ability of the County to meet or exceed the mandated 50% municipal and 60% total solid waste recycling goals established pursuant to the Solid Waste Management Act. The County retained CME Associates to develop such a plan. As an integral component, the firm reviewed each individual municipality's existing solid waste management processes and prepared an implementation plan encompassing the following:
a. A fully privatized, County-wide recyclable collection program for single family and
multi-family dwellings for participating municipalities. The collection system addresses: ease for participating households; containers; public information/education; and the curbside collection and subsequent processing and marketing of recyclables, with a portion of the revenue from the sale of same being returned to the County;
b. A long range yard waste management program; and
c. The scope and key provisions of appropriate inter-local service agreements for municipalities participating in the curbside collection and yard waste management programs.
The Middlesex County Facilities Implementation Plan was adopted in 1993 and implemented in 1994 by the Middlesex County Improvement Authority (MCIA) as the designated recycling agency for the County. Subsequently, CME Associates assisted the MCIA and its Attorney and Financial Advisors, in the development and negotiation of the participating municipalities' inter-local services agreements and also with the Request for Qualifications and Cost Proposals of qualified recycling firms for both the Collection and Marketing of Source- Separated Recyclables and for Yard Waste Recycling and Marketing Services.
The Plan as implemented by the MCIA has been in operation since 1994 and has helped Middlesex County to become the leader in recycling in New Jersey. Utilizing the plan as developed by CME Associates, the County has maintained a recycling percentage greater than 60 percent during fourteen out of the last sixteen years.