{"id":4655,"date":"2026-02-02T11:00:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T12:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/?p=4655"},"modified":"2026-02-05T14:56:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T14:56:30","slug":"sustainability-in-your-ear-milwaukees-kevin-shafer-on-circular-thinking-in-wastewater-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/02\/sustainability-in-your-ear-milwaukees-kevin-shafer-on-circular-thinking-in-wastewater-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability In Your Ear: Milwaukee\u2019s Kevin Shafer on Circular Thinking in Wastewater Management"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Subscribe<\/a> to receive transcripts by email. Read along with this episode<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every gallon of wastewater flowing through a municipal sewer contains recoverable energy, nutrients, and water\u2014assets that the linear \u201cflush and forget\u201d model has long treated as problems to dispose of rather than value to recapture. Meet Kevin Shafer, who has spent more than two decades proving otherwise. As executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District<\/a> (MMSD) since 2002, he\u2019s transformed an agency once mocked as a symbol of government waste into a national model for sustainable infrastructure, and last year, Veolia designated it as America\u2019s first \u201ceco factory.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Kevin Shafer, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, is our guest on Sustainability In Your Ear<\/i>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Milwaukee\u2019s circular approach actually predates the term by nearly a century. In 1926, the district began producing Milorganite<\/a>\u2014Milwaukee organic nitrogen\u2014a fertilizer made from dried biosolids that most utilities simply spread on fields or incinerate. Today, that product returns $11 to $12 million annually to the city\u2019s budget while keeping waste out of landfills. Kevin explains that this foundational commitment to doing the right thing has shaped MMSD\u2019s culture ever since: \u2018We just always look at those type of approaches. It\u2019s foundational to the district.\u2019<\/p>\n

The district\u2019s eight digesters at its South Shore plant now generate 80 to 85% of the facility\u2019s electricity from biosolids, with enough material left over to continue making Milorganite. Kevin calls it Cradle to Cradle<\/em> in action,<\/a> referring to the philosophy pioneered by architect William McDonough, who visited MMSD in 2006 and was intrigued by work that predated his framework by decades. The district is also partnering with regional breweries and food processors, accepting their organic waste streams for co-digestion. This reduces disposal costs for industry partners while increasing energy production\u2014a synergy that Kevin sees as the future of utility operations.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Kevin\u2019s 2035 vision targets 100% renewable energy and a 90% carbon reduction compared to 2005. He argues that utilities should see themselves as anchor institutions with generational responsibilities: \u2018I won\u2019t be here 50 years from now, but MMSD will be.\u2019 That long view has attracted new partners. \u2018All of a sudden they say, oh, here\u2019s someone that\u2019s thinking a little bit differently about something, and maybe we can help them, or they can help us.\u2019 The key barrier to scaling the circular economy, he believes, isn\u2019t technology\u2014it\u2019s institutional culture and a narrow focus on regulatory compliance rather than systems thinking.<\/p>\n

You can learn more about the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District at mmsd.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n