More than just trash

Resting on 400 acres of land east of Liberal, the Seward County Landfill offers numerous recycling services for residents and businesses.

Inside, the landfill areas are designated for separate waste. They are divided by appliances, concrete, tires, trees, residential wastes and paunch manure. Few buildings occupy the land labeled for gas collection from National Beef and for hazardous waste.

The landfill is filled with more than just trash.

The clear divisions of waste and separate buildings serve a purpose as each operates in its own recycling program. The trees can be taken to a grinder and produce mulch to be sold. The rubber tires can be crumbled and made into benches and tables. Once composed paunch is fully composed, it may be reprocessed into feed. Other programs may not recycle but correctly dispose of hazardous waste properly.

These programs along with the residential waste hauling service are to be examined in a Solid Waste Management Plan submitted to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment ever year. The plan is a report summarizing all the landfill's programs, changes made, future predictions and waste statistics.

Norvan Correll, recycling marketing coordinator, mailed the plan SWMP on Nov. 18. He believes there will be no problems. The plan was approved by the County Commissioners on Nov. 2 and by the landfill director, Mike Tabor.

"Ever since Mike has been here, we have not had a violation with KDHE,” said Correll. "The main thing we changed is we show how much of the different categories of waste we took in each year. The solid waste, the paunch material which is the raw material from our compose, Construction demolition, concrete, tires, clean wood. We show the yearly total tons and the total tons we took in each day.”

In 2008, the landfill reported taking in 205 tons a day for the landfill. Correll said that number is down from last year. The less amount of tons can be connected to the economy and less construction waste produced. The landfill remains busy despite less coming in.

“We recycle metals and appliances,” said Correll. “We recycle tires. Any clean wood, tree limbs and pallets. We will clean them up and they get ground up. It makes mulch.”

Landfill employees clear the trash on a Wednesday in November. The solid waste collection is only one of the many services offered by the county owned landfill. The landfill offers many recycling services for appliances, concrete, tires, trees, paunch manure and hazardous waste. Photo by Laura Eastes

The landfill sells the mulch for a profit. The landfill recycles electronic household waste and household hazardous waste. Electronic waste can be computer monitors and other electronics. Household waste is cleaning products, oils and used care batteries. For businesses the landfill recycles small quantity generator waste, similar to household but from businesses, said Correll.

"I don't think a lot of people realize there is a household hazardous waste program,” said Correll. “The good thing about it, you can bring your cleaner out here, your old pesticides or cleaning products. We can taken them no charge. Once they bring it to us, it will not be thrown in the landfill. It will be disposed where it will not harm our environment.”

Residents may bring up to five gallons or 25 pounds per trip.

Businesses with small quantity generator waste must meet the criteria set by the landfill and must pay a disposal cost and administrative cost. Restrictions for small quantity generator wastes is five gallons or 55 pounds per month. Businesses must schedule the drop off.

“Most of the time everyone will work with us,” said Correll. “Many are happy to know that it is available.”

The household hazardous waste recycling program is the only program residents do not pay a fee. Residents can bring tires, computer monitors, wood, concrete, shingles, tree limbs, appliances and more. They will be charged, but prices vary and a full list can be found at the county's website.

“I think a lot of people don't understand,” said Correll. “They think just because it is owned by the county it is available for people to dispose of things for free. They couldn't do that if it was privately owned. Even through it is county owned we don't get tax dollars. We live off our fees.”

The landfill has been owned by the county since the mid-1980's. Correll said receiving no financial support from the county allows the landfill run like a business. All programs must sustain themselves and create a profit.

“We don't lose money but we don't make a great deal of money,” said Correll. “We just make enough profit to sustain the program. I mean we don't make a large profit but we don't lose money either. That's the way it is with all our programs.”

One popular recycling program is tire recycling. The landfill takes in tires, processes them and uses a company to produce benches and tables with the recyclable rubber. The benches and tables are sold and can be viewed at the landfill's office.

“I sell more of them to schools and towns,” said Correll. “Even clubs like garden clubs and things like that have bought some of them. A majority goes to schools. They like them because they are heavy enough that they can't get moved around and durable enough that they are not going to get torn up. Kids like to mark on things like that with pens but these clean up real easy.”

Correll said USD 480 has been a big supporter of the recycled products. Nearly all the USD 480 schools have benches in the playgrounds or outside the schools. The City of Hooker, Okla. purchased many for their parks.

The landfill does not recycle cardboard, glass or aluminum. The City of Liberal provides those services. Correll said the landfill has never ventured into those recycling services to avoid competing.

For more please see Friday's Times

© 2008 Southwest Times