A Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) was formed by the SWALCO Board of Directors in 2008 with the purpose of updating the Solid Waste Management Plan for Lake County. The update formed by the CAC recommended convening a Task Force to investigate, evaluate and develop a plan with which SWALCO and Lake County could realistically achieve a 60% recycling rate by the year 2020.

A total of 27 individuals, representing a wide range of stakeholders, were appointed to the Task Force and approved by both Lake County and SWALCO. The Task Force included:

• CAC members
• Primary haulers
• Compost facilities operators
• Recycling facility operator
• C&D recycling facility operator
• Members from Incinerator Free Lake County
• Members from Lake County
• Members from SWALCO
• Representatives from Lake County Municipal League
• Representatives from Lake County Chamber of Commerce
• A large retailer

Meetings
The Task Force held 12 meetings between June 2010 and October 2011, resulting in the development of 36 recommendations ranging from the enhancement of existing programs to mandatory ordinances within waste plans.

Recommendations were split among three separate sectors commonly used in the organization of material/waste collection businesses:

1. Residential (20 recommendations)
2. Commercial (14 recommendations)
3. Construction and Debris (2 recommendations)

Although the recommendations represent the foundation of the plan, the 60% Task Force recognized that a significant barrier to achieving the desired diversion rates would be the need to educate the public and shift the general mindset from "waste management" to "material or resource management."