FAQs
Why can’t we just close all the landfills and dispose of our trash some other way?
Each of us generates about 4.6 pounds of trash per day. The average household generates between a ton and a ton and a half of trash per year. This material must be disposed of safely, cleanly, and as inexpensively as possible. Landfills remain the primary component in the overall waste management solution. Even the best recycling programs can recover only 20 to 40 percent of a community’s solid waste. That leaves 60 to 80 percent that must be disposed of in landfills. Even incinerators and waste-to-energy facilities produce residue (10 to 20 percent of the original waste material) that must be disposed of in landfills.