Waste Disposal

 

Why Worry About Waste?

Almost 13,000,000 tons of municipal solid waste was produced in Virginia in 2010. Of that total, only about 78,000 tons were recycled and 3,000 tons were composted. The rest was placed in landfills or incinerated. However, landfill space is limited. Many landfills, such as the Botetourt County landfill, are closed or quickly reaching capacity. The majority of landfills in VA are due to close within the next 15 years. If we are proactive about diverting waste by recycling and composting (and of course reducing and reusing), we will be able to prolong the life of many of these landfills. Afterall, once these close, where will we decide to send our waste?  

 

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What Makes Up The Waste Stream in America?

For more information about municipal solid waste visit: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/waste/solid.html

http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/

 

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