Tri-County Partnership
WE PROVIDE WORLD-CLASS RECYCLING AND LANDFILL SERVICES
Benefits of the BOW (Brown, Outagamie, Winnebago) Agreement/Tri-County Partnership
In 2003, Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago counties entered into an agreement, known as the BOW Intergovernmental Solid Waste Disposal Agreement, committing to working together to coordinate waste disposal, using each county’s existing landfill capacities and future landfill developments while sharing administration and operations costs. The goal was to stabilize operating costs while meeting the waste management and recycling needs of the 65 communities and more than 600,000 residents in our service areas.
This agreement was initially set for 25 years, with a provision to review the tri-county landfill plan near the midway point of the agreement. A report completed in 2020, found that the partnership saved the three counties $48 million dollars through administration and operations cost sharing. As a result, OCRSW has been able to keep waste disposal tipping fees stable for companies and residents.
Due to the success of the partnership, a new BOW Solid Waste Disposal Agreement was approved by all three county’s committees/boards in fall of 2020 that extends the tri-county partnership through 2042. A key feature of this new agreement is the additional flexibility it provides, including parallel landfill operations in Brown and Outagamie counties. It also ensures long-term landfill airspace to continue providing consistent, high quality service to residents and the thriving commercial and industrial business sectors.
