Re-TRAC Connect and The Recycling Partnership Announce the BETA Launch of the Municipal Measurement Program to Standardize Community Recycling Performance Data Nationally

Re-TRAC Connect and The Recycling Partnership launched the first phase of the Municipal Measurement Program (MMP) to provide municipalities with a robust and accessible materials management program analysis and planning tool. It was designed, with industry assistance, to standardize terminology and harmonize methodologies in support of consistent measurement across the U.S. and Canada. This innovative program will empower municipalities to benchmark performance and then identify and replicate bright spots, leading to better investment decisions and a stronger U.S. recycling system.

The new measurement program’s goal is to reach the majority of municipalities in the U.S. and Canada to advance the standardization and harmonization of material measurement of curbside recycling across the countries and facilitate decision-making to improve recycling program performance. Without adequate performance data, municipal program managers can struggle to identify the best course of action to improve recycling.

“The Re-TRAC Connect team is extremely excited about launching the Municipal Measurement Program in collaboration with The Recycling Partnership,” says Rick Penner, President of Emerge Knowledge.“The MMP is designed to help municipalities measure the success of their programs while creating a national database of standardized information that will benefit the entire industry. Working with The Recycling Partnership to promote, manage, and enhance the MMP over time will ensure that the many benefits of this exciting new program are fully realized.”

Based on data submitted to the MMP, municipalities will be introduced to effective tools and resources developed by The Recycling Partnership to transform recycling across the United States. Participation in the program is free to communities and the goal is to create a standardized system for reporting contamination data.

“The Municipal Measurement Program will revolutionize the way we collect performance data, including capture rates and contamination, and transform our recycling systems for the better,” states Scott Mouw, Senior Director of Strategy and Research, The Recycling Partnership. “Currently every municipality has its own way of measuring and assessing their community’s performance. The MMP will streamline that data and connect municipalities to The Recycling Partnership’s free online toolkits of best practices to help communities improve recycling by operating more efficiently.”