Summit County works on Solid Waste Action Plan to increase life of landfills

Summit County Landfill. Photo: Courtesy of Summit County

PARK CITY, Utah ­­— Recently, the expected life span of the landfills in Summit County was increased by 10 years. The county expects to approve a final Solid Waste Action Plan this summer.

“The landfill already does a ton of great things in the diversion space,” said Tim Loveday, Summit County Solid Waste Superintendent, citing the residential curbside recycling service and free drop-off at the Three Mile Canyon Landfill and Henefer landfill for corrugated cardboard and metal.

“We also offer mattress recycling, tire recycling, and more,” he continued. “Our ability to collect and manage these materials has improved significantly in the last year or two with the installation of a vertical baler at Three Mile, which helps us keep more cardboard out of the landfill entirely. We also diverted about 1,600 tons of green waste this past year from the landfill with a brand-new chipping program.”

Summit County considers Recycle Utah’s expertise and community presence to be key assets as they build a more robust and sustainable system for recycling, reducing and reusing waste. As Loveday explains, “Thanks to valuable partnerships between the county, Recycle Utah, and Park City, Recycle Utah has a new 4-acre home that will allow it to continue operating a central drop-off and collections center and continue being a hub for waste education, outreach, and community building that our community loves so much. Looking forward, the county anticipates that Recycle Utah will have the opportunity to play an even larger role as we expand and implement our solid waste strategies.”

Additionally, this summer, Summit County will be piloting a minimum of six remote drop-off locations for cardboard, glass, and mixed recyclables at locations throughout the county, so residents have access to increased recycling options closer to home.

“No single facility or solution is expected to achieve the 10-year landfill life extension on its own,” said Loveday. “Reaching that goal will require a combination of strategies working together and will include the entire community. Through our Solid Waste Action Plan, the county is taking a comprehensive look at what menu of strategies will be most effective in helping us reach our goal. We’re excited to share more with our community this summer once we arrive at a final plan.”

The Solid Waste Action Plan is an addendum to the 2018 Solid Waste Master Plan. Strategies and options are in the evaluation phase. These include approaches to encourage both residents and visitors to reduce and divert waste from the landfill.

“Our focus right now is on gathering input, analyzing data, and carefully weighing potential strategies to ensure any future actions are both effective and responsive to community priorities, including the waste practices of visitors and how they, too, can help us reach our goal,” says Loveday. All groups have been consistent in their message that sensitivity to costs, fees, and taxes is important to them.

The voter-approved Emergency Services Sales Tax, has created additional flexibility, allowing the county to implement certain programs, like expanding drop-off recycling locations, without immediately increasing solid waste service fees. Each strategy or program will undergo a thorough cost analysis to ensure decisions are both financially responsible and aligned with community priorities.