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Hey Buddy, Got a Landfill? Hey Buddy, Got a Landfill? In our last discussion, we reviewed the state of recycling in the state. Some good news has recently been received. Wisconsin industries are aggressively researching beneficial reuse of byproducts. Already in 1998, Wisconsin industrial landfilling decreased by 37%, from 3.5 to 2.2 million tons. Of course some of these “beneficial reuses” are a bit questionable. For example, if you can use an industrial by-product as daily cover inside a landfill, IT’S A BENEFICIAL REUSE! If you build a highway overpass with an industrial by-product which requires clay liners above and below the material (but don’t monitor the site), IT’S ANOTHER BENEFICIAL REUSE! There are many worthy projects being done by industry to really reduce the amount of wastes that are landfilled. Wisconsin is a national leader in recycling, (despite being years, and now pushing a decade, behind other states on composting). That’s a good thing, because…in the somewhat modified exclamation of Paul Revere…..THE GARBAGE IS COMING! In 1995, very little waste was imported into the state. However, by 1998 that changed with over 2.7 million tons of garbage being imported into Wisconsin. That’s over 40% of the municipal garbage landfilled in Wisconsin, and makes the state one of the top four garbage importers in the Country. And the tonnage is only going to increase. Why? Because Wisconsin’s landfills are so cheap, and federal courts have ruled that Wisconsin cannot impose recycling restrictions on residents and businesses in neighboring states. Most of our neighboring states place surcharges on landfilling to support waste reduction, recycling, composting, and hazardous waste collection programs. Their theory is, “If your gonna throw out a lot of garbage, then you can help pay for finding ways to reduce landfilling”. So here we are…,in the middle of developing a state budget for the next biennium…for the beginning of the next Century… looking for a way to continue state funding of recycling…we’ve got millions of tons of garbage coming into the state…Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa all place surcharges on landfilling garbage to fund waste reduction efforts….How ‘bout if we…..NO!,….. we can’t do that….it’s just too crazy an idea. |
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©2004 Oneida County Solid Waste Department
PO Box 400
Rhinelander, WI 54501
PO Box 400
Rhinelander, WI 54501
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