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Local governments, you stand at a critical juncture in waste management. The responsibility for refuse removal, refuse dumps, solid waste disposal and public cleansing is legally yours. This mandate places you on the front lines of a growing crisis. For too long, traditional methods, primarily centered around landfills, have been the default solution. However, these methods are proving increasingly unsustainable, both environmentally and economically. The “Disposal Era,” characterized by its reliance on landfills, is demonstrably over, and it’s imperative to embrace a new paradigm.    

The Alarming Decline of Landfills and the Rising Crisis 

The landscape of waste disposal in the United States has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past few decades. The sheer number of landfills has drastically decreased. 

• In 1971, with the inception of the EPA, the U.S. had approximately 23,000 MSW landfills, with an overwhelming 99 percent owned and operated by local governments.    
• Fast forward to today, and that number has plummeted to a mere 542 operational landfills.    
• To provide further context, in 1988, there were 7,924 landfills in the U.S., which decreased to 1,908 in 2010 and then further down to 1,269 in 2018.    

This decline presents a significant challenge for local governments. With fewer landfills available, the pressure on existing facilities intensifies, leading to increased costs and logistical complexities. 

The Grip of Private Ownership 

While local governments still play a role in landfill ownership and operation, the private sector has gained significant control. In 2022, the five largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. waste and recycling industry controlled an estimated 61 percent of U.S. MSW landfill volume.    

This consolidation of ownership raises concerns about pricing, accessibility and the prioritization of profit over environmental responsibility. It’s important to note that local governments have often contracted out their responsibility to private companies.    

The Soaring Cost of Landfilling 

The dwindling number of landfills, coupled with increasing demand and the growing influence of large private waste management companies controlling a significant portion of landfill volume, has led to a consistent and concerning rise in tipping fees – the cost for local governments and other entities to dispose of waste in these facilities. 

Historically, the cost to utilize airspace within a landfill was relatively low, around a dollar or two per cubic yard. Initial landfill development was also less expensive; for instance, digging a hole that could also provide cover material might only cost approximately $10,000 per acre (and, notably, pre-1971, cover material was not always required). Furthermore, prior to the establishment of the EPA in 1971, a significant majority – approximately 99 percent – of landfills in the United States were owned and operated by local governments. 

Tipping fee structures during that period reflected this public ownership model. As Jeremy O’Brien of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) explains, “If a public entity owns a landfill, they are required by law to establish that priced…based on cost. Whereas, in the private sector, the company will set their price based on competition or lack thereof.” This fundamental difference in pricing philosophy – cost-based for public entities versus market-driven for private companies – is a key factor in understanding the evolution of tipping fees. 

To illustrate the complex interplay of factors influencing tipping fees, consider the following relationships: 

WASTE GENERATION TIP FEE & NUMBER OF LANDFILLS 

The increasing tip fee is therefore driven by a combination of factors, including: 

• Declining Landfill Numbers: The reduction in available landfill space necessitates increased transportation distances for waste disposal, adding to the overall cost. 

• Increased Waste Generation: Rising population and consumption patterns lead to higher volumes of waste, further straining existing landfill capacity. 

• Recycling and Resource Recovery Costs: Paradoxically, while intended to reduce landfill reliance, the higher costs associated with recycling and resource recovery programs can indirectly increase overall waste management expenses, including tipping fees. 

As Ed Repa observed, “What we’ve noticed in past surveys that we have done is that if there are resource recovery facilities, for instance, like in the Northeast and in Minnesota or places like that, the tipping fees tend to bump up just because they can. If you’re the only [landfill] in town and you charge $10 less than the $100 tip fee at the {waste-to-energy} facility, then the waste is probably going to come to you, and you’ll get the higher fee.” This “pricing power” in areas with limited landfill competition exacerbates the financial burden on local governments. 

Moreover, local governments often bear the ongoing financial responsibility for “legacy” landfills – older, closed facilities that require continued closure and post-closure maintenance, funded by revenue from newer landfills. Additionally, local government-funded initiatives such as recycling programs, household hazardous waste collections and aggressive waste reduction programs all add to the overall cost burden. 

This confluence of factors – reduced landfill capacity, increased waste generation, market-driven pricing by private entities, and the financial obligations of local governments – creates a challenging environment. It leads to the trend of rising operational costs, which directly translates to higher tipping fees for those reliant on landfill disposal. As noted by Klean Industries in 2015, “My own feeling is that (tip fees) are likely to continue to rise if there’s a lack of regional competition in the marketplace. If there is no competitive alternative, then what’s to prevent them from rising?” 

This lack of competitive alternatives, combined with the decreasing number of available landfills and the increasing volume of waste generated, creates a “perfect storm” for continued price increases in landfill disposal. It’s crucial to remember that the landfill business has historically been able to charge 2-3x its operational fee for a tip fee, further exacerbating the financial burden on communities. This escalating cost structure underscores the urgent need for local governments to explore and adopt innovative and economically sustainable alternatives like Upcycled Waste. 

The Ever-Increasing Tide of Waste 

Compounding the problem of landfill scarcity and rising costs is the sheer volume of waste generated. In 2018, the United States generated 292.4 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). This includes trash from homes, businesses and institutions.    

In addition to MSW, there are approximately 600 million tons of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris and upwards of 7.6 billion tons of industrial waste generated annually.  In addition to these major categories, other types of waste (that have no recycling options available) include waste tires, rail ties and creosote poles, to name a few. 

This immense volume of waste puts immense pressure on already strained landfill capacity and exacerbates the environmental problems associated with landfills.  

The Environmental Catastrophe of Landfills 

Landfills are not just unsightly and odorous; they pose a significant threat to the environment. They are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, a potent contributor to climate change. They can also contaminate soil and groundwater through leachate, a toxic liquid that percolates through the waste. Moreover, landfills attract pests and disease-carrying rodents and birds, posing a risk to public health and safety.    

The sheer scale of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills in the United States is staggering. It’s calculated that all landfills, regardless of their operational status, collectively produce 122.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMT CO₂ Eq.) per year. This immense volume underscores the significant contribution of landfills to climate change and highlights the urgent need for alternative waste management strategies. 

The Limitations of Recycling 

While recycling plays a vital role in waste management, it’s not a perfect solution. Recycling programs face significant challenges, including contamination, which reduces the quality of recycled materials and increases processing costs. Fluctuating market demand for recycled goods can also undermine the economic viability of recycling programs, sometimes leading to materials being landfilled despite collection efforts. Furthermore, the recycling process itself can be energy-intensive, requiring energy for collection, transportation and processing.  

In essence, recycling alone cannot fully address the waste crisis, and partially recycled materials still end up in the landfill. 

Upcycled Waste: A Paradigm Shift 

Upcycled Waste offers a fundamental shift in how we approach waste management. We move beyond the limitations of landfills and traditional recycling to create a truly sustainable and economically viable solution. 

• Zero Waste Solution: Upcycled Waste’s technology is designed to process 100 percent of the incoming waste stream. This means no more reliance on landfills and their associated environmental problems.    

• Resource Recovery: We transform waste into valuable resources, including:  
  • Biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)    
  • Bioplastics    
  • BTX 
  • RNG 
  • H₂ 

• Minimal Emissions: Our gasification process operates in a controlled environment with limited oxygen, resulting in only clean water as its emission.    

• Carbon Negative Process: Upcycled Waste takes biogenic and non-biogenic waste (which is greater than 80 percent of all waste) and uses it as feedstock to create 100 percent biogenic and sustainable products that take the place of fossil-based products.    

Why Upcycled Waste is the Answer for Local Governments 

Upcycled Waste offers a compelling value proposition for local governments, addressing the environmental, economic and social challenges of traditional waste management. 

• Economic Prosperity: 
  • Upcycled Waste facilities represent a substantial economic investment in the community. Each “Complex” is an estimated $750 million construction project (for each 2,300 tons per day of gross waste input, 330 days/year).    
  • This investment creates numerous jobs, both during construction and in ongoing operations. The first “Complex” will include 159 total employees with an average beginning wage and benefit package of $120,000 annually.    
  • The facilities also contribute significantly to the local tax base through ad valorem taxes on the equipment, estimated at $560,000,000 per complex.    
  • Upcycled Waste offers the Host Community recompense for their use of roads within the Host Community a one percent (1%) of gross market revenue Royalty.    

• Environmental Stewardship: 
  • Upcycled Waste helps communities eliminate their reliance on landfills, preventing soil and water contamination, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the negative impacts on air quality.    
  • By diverting biogenic waste from landfills, a major source of methane, Upcycled Waste significantly reduces a community’s contribution to climate change.     

• Community Enhancement: 
  • Upcycled Waste facilities eliminate the odor, pests and aesthetic problems associated with landfills, improving the quality of life for residents.    
  • We are committed to being a good community partner, offering benefits such as on-site childcare for employees.    

A Call to Action: Embrace the Upcycled Era 

The time for incremental improvements is over. Local governments need to embrace a transformative approach to waste management. Upcycled Waste offers that solution – a technology that is environmentally sound, economically beneficial, and socially responsible. 

We urge local government leaders to contact Upcycled Waste today and explore how we can partner to build a cleaner, more sustainable and more prosperous future for your communities. The future of waste management is not disposal; it’s upcycling.