COUNTY PLANS FOR FORTY YEARS OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND SAVES MILLIONS IN THE PROCESS

摘要

St. Lucie County, Florida is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation and has taken the current population boom into account when planning for the future needs of the County. The increase in population will lead to an increase in municipal solid waste generation. Since the opening of the Glades Cut-Off Road Municipal Solid Waste Landfill, St. Lucie County has employed traditional means of placing the waste into the landfill, spreading and then compacting. Rather than keeping these traditional techniques in place, a landmark Baling and Recycling Facility was built at the landfill site. This Baling and Recycling Facility is the first of its kind in Florida, and over a 40-year time period will manage to save the County and taxpayers millions of dollars. The greatest economic benefit of the Baling and Recycling Facility is a more efficient use of air space at the landfill, which results in increased life of the landfill. The bales achieve a higher density than compacted waste and also require less cover material, which saves landfill space. The Baling operations have also led to an increase in recycling, which brings revenue to the County and saves landfill airspace at the same time. Once the landfill is closed, the County has the option of converting the Baling and Recycling Facility into a transfer station, which could save the County money. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the economic success of the St. Lucie County Baling and Recycling Facility. This paper will provide details on the current operations and the economic impact of the Baling Facility. This paper will also show how unique management practices at a landfill can be economically beneficial to the general public that the landfill serves.