The Catalyst Communities Initiative is a comprehensive program that provides education, training, planning, and technical resources to local governments as they work toward their sustainability goals.
Building sustainable materials management programs requires more than good intentions—it demands strong operational foundations. Clear frameworks, ordinances, agreements, partnerships, and reliable funding mechanisms are the building blocks that turn plans into action and ensure long-term success.
This mini-series is designed to help communities and organizations establish these essential foundations. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, we’ll explore how to create systems that support materials management programs and goals, providing the capacity and stability needed to make them effective and sustainable.
Whether you’re starting a program from scratch or strengthening existing efforts, these sessions will give you the tools and insights needed to build successful programs that work—and keep working. Stay tuned for more webinars to come in the mini-series!
Recorded January 22, 2026
Community host agreements – long used as a tool for negotiating local benefits in connection with landfills, pose a potential opportunity to support local recycling, organics recycling, and other waste reduction programs.
Recorded January 27, 2026
Community host agreements – long used as a tool for negotiating local benefits in connection with landfills, pose a potential opportunity to support local recycling, organics recycling, and other waste reduction programs.
Recorded February 10, 2026
View this webinar to explore sustainable operational mechanisms, with a focus on Public Act 69 of 2005, a powerful yet underutilized tool, that enables counties to collaborate with local units of government to fund recycling, composting, and household hazardous waste programs. Under Public Act 69, counties can collect up to $25 per household annually from participating local units to support these essential services—without requiring a vote. This funding mechanism offers a flexible, locally driven approach to building and sustaining materials management infrastructure.
Recorded February 26, 2026
View this webinar to learn how do communities fund programs that reduce waste, increase recycling, and promote sustainability? This webinar explores two key funding mechanisms—millage and user fees—and how they can support long-term, effective materials management programs. View this webinar to learn:
Recorded March 12, 2026
Clear ordinances and well-structured contract are essential for building strong recycling and other materials management programs. This webinar will highlight best practices for developing ordinances and contracting strategies that support long-term diversion goals.
Recorded March 24, 2026
Innovation is key to advancing recycling and waste diversion and reduction efforts. This webinar will showcase creative approaches that are transforming recycling service delivery. Featuring real-world examples from across Michigan, we’ll explore how these programs are breaking traditional molds to meet community needs and drive a new materials management landscape forward.
Recorded April 7, 2026
Effective recycling programs often require collaboration across jurisdictions. This webinar will explore how recycling authorities and interlocal agreements can help communities pool resources, streamline operations, and achieve shared sustainability goals. In this webinar, we will explore: What recycling authorities are and how they function; The role of interlocal agreements in building regional partnerships; Benefits and challenges of collaborative governance models; and Examples of successful agreements and lessons learned Join us to discover practical strategies for fostering cooperation and creating resilient, cost-effective recycling systems that serve multiple communities.
Catalyst Communities webinars are free, recorded, and then posted online, which takes out the constraints of time, travel, and cost for communities. Individuals registering for a webinar who are unable to attend will receive notification when the recording is available for on-demand viewing.
The Catalyst Communities Initiative is a comprehensive program to provide education, training, planning and technical resources to local governments as they work toward their sustainability goals.
