Shelby County Solid Waste Management Plan| Shelby County OSR

Waste Characterization Study & Solid Waste Management Plan

In 2023, the City of Memphis and Shelby County governments committed to developing a waste characterization study and solid waste plan for Shelby County. With the help of local project partners and state and federal funding sources, the development of this project is nearing completion.

Keep reading below to learn more about the process and how Shelby County is benefitting from it.

BACKGROUND

OVERVIEW

VIEW PLAN

BACKGROUND

TDEC Funding Opportunity:

Planning and Technical Assistance Waste Characterization Study Grant

DOE Funding Opportunity:

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant

Total Funding: $792,304.15

TDEC Share: $250,000

DOE Share: $142,304.15

Local Gov't Share: $400,000

Both the Memphis Area Climate Action Plan and Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan (2019) outline goals for waste management which include reducing waste being sent to landfills and behavioral change in the community's approach to waste. Recognizing the importance of these goals, the City of Memphis and Shelby County agreed on the need for a road map to implement better waste practices to move Memphis and Shelby County towards a greener future.

In summer of 2023, the City and County committed $200,000 each toward this initiative totaling $400,000 in local government funding. With OSR taking on the project management role, we sought additional funding from state and federal sources. In July 2023, OSR was awarded $250,000 for the development of the waste characterization study through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's (TDEC) Planning and Technical Assistance Waste Characterization Study Grant. In addition to that, we applied for the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), requesting that a portion of the funds go towards the development of the Solid Waste Management Plan. Upon award, we received $142,304.15 in funds to be allocated to this project.

OVERVIEW

Summer '24 Project Kickoff

Spring '25 Waste Characterization Report

Spring '25 Public Survey and Engagement Opportunities

Spring '26 Solid Waste Management Plan Final Draft Completed

What is the goal of this project?

The Solid Waste Management Plan will serve as a blueprint of best practices and strategies for Shelby County and its municipalities to implement over the next 30 years. This plan will identify key considerations that allow local government to set data-driven goals that balance the operational and financial impacts of implementing programs that support long-term environmental benefits of sustainable materials management.

The first step in the development of the Plan was to conduct a waste characterization study in order to evaluate the current waste management landscape in Shelby County. In 2024, the project team held two waste sorting events, one in June and one in October. The results of those sessions along with an assessment of the current solid waste system will inform the development of the goals outlined in the Plan.

Where are we now?

The Draft Shelby County Solid Waste Management Plan has been reviewed and approved by the Solid Waste Region Board. Next steps will include sending the plan to TDEC for final review and approval then presenting it to Shelby County and its municipalities for their approval. The final plan will be hosted here and on the Solid Waste Management Plan page.