Most communities, no matter their size, need at least basic solid waste services from trash pick up to recycling and beyond in order to protect both public and environmental health. Small, rural communities often struggle to provide this affordably or sustainably on their own given the lack of economies of scale. This is where partnership, otherwise known as regionalization, can be an excellent tool to create that needed combined capacity whether it is many small communities coming together or a larger community working with other smaller ones. Regionalization can take many forms from the informal borrowing of a bulldozer to contracting out collection services to a full-fledged hub and spoke regional recycling model. We will be sharing three case studies from across the US in Indiana, Kentucky and Puerto Rico to show how regional collaboration can come together and the many short and long term benefits of working with your neighbors in good times and also in the wake of what are becoming much more intense and frequent disasters.

Thank you to RECAP for collaborating on this session.