Solid Waste Technical Assistance
RCAC provides solid waste technical assistance and training to rural and Indigenous communities across the western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. Currently, we provide assistance and training in the following areas:
- Biomass Business Development
- Community outreach and education strategies
- Community townhall meetings
- Developing composting programs
- Developing household hazardous waste programs
- Developing recycling programs
- Environmental Justice
- Financial analysis for waste management utilities
- Food waste elimination strategies
- Funding & TA research assistance
- Health and safety training
- Illegal dumping elimination strategies
- Integrated Solid Waste Management Plans (ISWMP)
- Landfill Operator training
- Proper Disposal of Prescription drugs
- Source Water Protection
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge/Wisdom sharing
- Transfer station Operation training
- Waste Audits (Characterization)
- “Zero-waste” strategies
Community Examples
Below is a list of communities RCAC has partnered with to improve solid waste management:
- Cahuilla Indian Reservation, CA
- Chevak Native Village, AK
- Cold Springs Rancheria, CA
- Confederated Tribes of Colville, WA
- Confederated Tribes of Goshute, UT
- Confederated Tribes of Colville, WA
- Duck Water Shoshone, NV
- Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council, NM
- Kotlik Environmental Program, AK
- Laguna Pueblo, NM
- Mora County, NM
- Native Village of Hooper Bay, AK
- Nulato IGAP Program, AK
- San Carlos Apache Tribe, AZ
- San Idelfonso Pueblo, NM
- Scammon Bay Tribal Council, AK
- Selawik Native Village, AK
- Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, ID
- Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, CO
- Warm Springs Tribe, OR
- Zia Pueblo, NM
Solid Waste Resources
The resources and templates below are available free of charge for any small solid waste utility/program, including transfer stations, and recycling centers.
- Recycling and Recovery Resources Hub
- Community Composting Done Right: A Guide to Best Management Practices – Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ilsr.org)
- Tools for Preventing and Diverting Wasted Food (USEPA)
- Food Waste Presentation for Trainers (USEPA)
- Managing Household Hazardous Waste (USEPA)
- Safe Medication Disposal Location Maps
- RCAC EFC – Solid Waste Budget Templates
- Household Hazardous Waste Management Guidelines Template
- Safety Plan Template
- Tribal Solid Waste Ordinances Template
- Transfer Station Standard Operating Procedures Template
- VIDEO: Proper Disposal of Drugs for Rural Alaskan Villages
- VIDEO: Water Sampling at the Kotlik Landfill and River
- VIDEO: Product Disposal for Alaska Tribes
- PFAS Resource Guide for Alaska Tribal Villages
- RCAP Rural Matters Solid Waste editions
Contact Information
If you would like to talk to an RCAC environmental rural development specialist about these or other services, contact RCAC’s main office at (916) 447-2854 and request Jacqueline Shirley or complete our Request for Assistance.
