Recycling Offers Solution To Landfill Issues

Recycling Offers Solution To Landfill Issues

With current landfills continuing to fill up each year communities are looking for solutions on how to cut down the waste going to landfills. With complex plans including recycling, communities can continue to manage their landfill resources for a long time.

The key for cities moving forward is to take a long look at what is actually going into landfills and figure out how they can effectively cut down on products. Polystyrene has been a frequent target for politicians, but polystyrene food service products constitute less than 1 percent, by both weight and volume, of our country’s municipal solid waste.

Due to their design of modern landfills, nothing put into a landfill will biodegrade. In order to limit ground water contamination, modern landfills are designed to seal off outside oxygen, water and sunlight, which are all required for biodegradation to occur.

In order to cut down on landfill waste, communities are turning to recycling as an option. Companies like Waste Management are able to partner with private businesses like Dart Container to create recycling programs to help communities. The two were able to create a recycling program for schools, taking their polystyrene trays and recycling them instead of putting them in the trash.

Polystyrene recycling is also growing as an option for both curbside and drop off recycling programs. You can view our recycling map to see some of the many locations that accept polystyrene for recycling.

Finding the solutions for landfills is going to continue to be a priority for communities around the country. Polystyrene and plastic recycling are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to having a smart waste management program in a city. If your community is interested in beginning a polystyrene recycling program, please contact us today!

 

Joseph, Gina “Michigan trash increase heightens interest in recycling" Advisor & Source Newspapers. 31 March, 2015. Web. 01 April, 2015.