The purpose of this project was to provide support to the City of Ferndale in fulfilling the recommendation of their 2020 Downtown Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan to implement tiered sanitation rates for their central business district (CBD). This involved three primary work flows: 1) data collection and analysis of current system funding, 2) outreach to communities already using various tiered rate structures, and 3) communication with Ferndale city officials and business stakeholders. The methods used here are broadly applicable to the kinds of data gathering and outreach necessary for any community looking to implement a similar funding structure and can also inform those assessing whether shared material collection areas could positively impact their community.

• Location: Ferndale, MI
• Project Team: Nora Bundy (Fellow), University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability and Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning; Claire Dion (Mentor), Zero Waste Program Coordinator, City of Ferndale; Robert Swain (Technical Advisor), Public Works Manager, City of Grand Rapids
• Project Presentation (PDF)
• Project Deliverable: Tiered Sanitation Rates: Inspiring Waste Reduction and Equitable Funding for Shared Systems (PDF)