Chapter NR 540
WASTE SEPARATION AND RECYCLING COLLECTION FACILITIES
NR 540.04 Location requirements. NR 540.05 License exemption. NR 540.06 Design and operation standards. NR 540.08 Public information and education. NR 540.10 Application for exemption. NR 540.01NR 540.01 Purpose. The purpose of these rules is to establish minimum standards for waste separation and recycling collection facilities as required by ch. 287, Stats. NR 540.01 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, July, 1988, No. 391, eff. 8-1-88. NR 540.02NR 540.02 Applicability. These rules apply to waste separation and recycling collection facilities for newsprint, aluminum, glass and plastic to be located at landfills accepting residential waste from the public and disposing of less than 50,000 tons of residential waste a year; to counties with populations of 10,000 to 50,000 and, in counties with populations of over 50,000 to towns, villages, and cities of 10,000 in population or more, or to the county if there is no town, village or city of 10,000 in population. NR 540.02 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, July, 1988, No. 391, eff. 8-1-88. NR 540.03(2)(2) “Critical habitat areas” means any habitat determined by the department to be critical to the continued existence of any endangered or threatened species listed in ch. NR 27. NR 540.03(3)(3) “Department” means the department of natural resources. NR 540.03(4)(4) “Floodplain” means the land which has been or may hereafter be covered by flood water during the regional flood as defined in ch. NR 116. NR 540.03(5)(5) “Glass” means glass bottles, jars and other containers and does not include window glass, pyrex, light bulbs or other noncontainer glass. NR 540.03(6)(6) “Municipality” means any town, village, city or county in the state. NR 540.03(7)(7) “Plastic” means a rigid or semi-rigid container made of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other recyclable plastic. NR 540.03(8)(8) “Residential solid waste” means solid waste generated within households, and does not include commercial waste, industrial waste, demolition waste, construction waste, septage, or brush or other wastes not produced within a household. NR 540.03(9)(9) “Solid waste disposal facility” means a licensed solid waste facility for the discharge, deposit, injection or placing of any solid waste into or on the land. This term does not include facilities for the collection, storage, transfer, transportation or treatment of solid waste. NR 540.03(10)(10) “Waste separation and recycling collection facility” means a system of containers, equipment or other structures to collect source separated newsprint, aluminum, glass or plastic for the purpose of recycling. The facility does not need to collect all 4 materials at one location. NR 540.03(11)(11) “Wetland” means an area where water is at, near, or above the land surface long enough to be capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation and which has soils indicative of wet conditions. NR 540.03 NoteNote: Waste separation and recycling collection facilities for newsprint, glass, aluminum and plastic are required to be established both at solid waste disposal facilities accepting less than 50,000 tons of residential waste, and in communities of population of over 10,000 people unless otherwise exempted. For facilities in communities, the requirements are as follows: In counties of 10,000-50,000 people one facility is required; the county shall provide the facility if no facility is available. In counties of 50,000 or more people: If no city, village or town is above 10,000 in population, the county is to provide for at least one facility. For cities, villages and towns of over 10,000 in population, the required number of facilities is: If the population is over 10,000 but less than 50,000 - one If the population is at least 50,000 but under 100,000 - 2 If the population is 100,000 or more - 3 plus one for each additional 100,000 in population. Exemptions can be granted if there are already an adequate number of recycling facilities listed in a DNR directory or if the required facilities are not economically feasible. It is not necessary for all 4 materials to be collected at a single location, or under common ownership.
NR 540.03 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, July, 1988, No. 391, eff. 8-1-88. NR 540.04(1)(1) General. No person may establish, construct, operate or maintain a waste separation and recycling collection facility in a floodplain or a wetland or that causes a take of an endangered or threatened species or other activity prohibited under s. 29.604, Stats. NR 540.04(2)(2) Solid waste disposal facilities. A waste separation and recycling collection facility required to be provided by the owner or operator of a solid waste disposal facility shall be within the property limits of the solid waste disposal facility, or, upon written approval of the department, at a convenient location within a reasonable travel distance of the solid waste disposal facility. NR 540.04(3)(3) Municipal centers. A waste separation and recycling collection facility required to be provided by a municipality shall be located within the corporate limits of the municipality, or, upon written approval of the department, at a convenient location within a reasonable travel distance of the municipal corporate limits. NR 540.04 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, July, 1988, No. 391, eff. 8-1-88; CR 05-020: am. (1) Register January 2006 No. 601, eff. 2-1-06. NR 540.05NR 540.05 License exemption. A solid waste facility license is not required for a waste separation and recycling collection facility developed in compliance with these rules. NR 540.05 NoteNote: Other local, state and federal requirements may apply.
NR 540.05 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, July, 1988, No. 391, eff. 8-1-88. NR 540.06NR 540.06 Design and operation standards. Waste separation and recycling collection facilities shall meet the following requirements: NR 540.06(1)(1) Facilities for newsprint shall provide protection from precipitation and direct exposure to sunlight. It is recommended that facilities for aluminum, glass and plastic either provide for protection from precipitation or for the drainage of precipitation. NR 540.06(2)(2) Facilities shall be designed and operated to minimize the potential for safety hazards, especially from broken glass. NR 540.06(3)(3) Facilities shall be designed and operated to minimize the potential for litter and the mixing of contaminants into otherwise properly separated materials. NR 540.06(4)(4) Facilities shall be designed and operated to minimize vandalism. Controlled access is recommended, but not required. NR 540.06(5)(5) A sign shall be posted to clearly describe materials collected, preparation required before depositing the materials at the facility, the hours of operation, the name of the owner or operator of the facility, and the name, address and telephone number of the responsible official to contact. NR 540.06(6)(6) Adequate capacity shall be provided to store sufficient quantities of material prior to transportation to markets. NR 540.06(7)(7) The design and operation of a waste separation and recycling collection facility located at a solid waste disposal facility shall not interfere with proper operation of the solid waste disposal facility. NR 540.06 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, July, 1988, No. 391, eff. 8-1-88. NR 540.07NR 540.07 Notification. Any person required to provide for a waste separation and recycling collection facility shall, upon the development of the waste separation and recycling collection facility, notify the appropriate department area office with the following information: NR 540.07(1)(1) Name, address and telephone number of the responsible official, NR 540.07(2)(2) Location of the waste separation and recycling collection facility, NR 540.07 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, July, 1988, No. 391, eff. 8-1-88. NR 540.08NR 540.08 Public information and education. Any person required to provide for a waste separation and recycling collection facility shall publish in the local telephone directory a listing of the telephone number of a responsible official for the waste separation and recycling collection facility, and, at least semi-annually, publish a notice in the major newspaper of each community to be served by the facility describing the availability and location of the facility, the types of materials accepted, the required preparation of materials to be accepted, and the hours of operation. Other public information and education activities are strongly recommended, but not required. NR 540.08 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, July, 1988, No. 391, eff. 8-1-88.
