As the state is considering how to shut down many outdated landfills across the state, there’s also a push underway to prevent more waste from going into landfills in the first place. A study from earlier this year shows just 19 percent of municipal solid waste is recycled or composted in the state, putting Wyoming on par with the national average in the early 1990s.
At a recent legislative committee hearing, Wyoming Solid Waste and Recycling Association President Chris Moldt said the first step to improving that statistic is getting better data on diversion rates at individual landfills.
“We would like to have a reporting requirement that everybody could pool their information into, and then that’s the point at which further determinations could be made going forward,” he said.
Representative Mike Grear objected, saying reporting would be burdensome for small landfills, especially ones in the process of closing. But the Minerals Committee ultimately voted to move forward with legislation requiring reporting.