Oakland County's Materials Management Plan work program includes development of model ordinances and sample agreements. A model ordinance is not necessarily a countywide law; it can instead give cities, villages, and townships common language they can adopt or modify for local rules involving facilities, collection, diversion, enforcement, or related practices. The central tradeoff is whether these models should function mainly as optional technical resources or as a tool for producing more consistent policy across a county whose municipalities currently manage recycling differently. Common language can save every city and township from reinventing the wheel, but a template stops being neutral if communities are effectively punished for changing it.