Solid Waste
Date updated: 03/29/2012
Nearly every human activity leaves behind some kind of waste. Households create ordinary garbage. Industrial and manufacturing processes create solid and hazardous wastes. Waste products must be disposed of by methods designed to be safe for human and animal life and the environment. These methods are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and include disposal of solid materials in landfills, disposal of liquid wastes in underground injection wells, and the storage and pretreatment of liquid wastes and biosolids.
The Larimer County Landfill is located south of Fort Collins on Taft Hill Road, about two miles south of Harmony Road. The landfill site also includes the Larimer County Recycling Center and the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility. To facilitate waste collection in smaller communities, Larimer County also operates four waste transfer stations. These transfer stations are located in Berthoud, Estes Park, Red Feather Lakes, and Wellington.
A vertical expansion for the Larimer County Landfill site was approved in March 1995, which meant that another ten feet of trash and cover could be placed on top of the existing fill areas. The 1995 vertical expansion added approximately 4 million cubic yards of new capacity to the original 12 million cubic yard capacity. As of 2002, the life expectancy of the landfill, without further expansion, was about 5-6 years. In April 2004, the County approved a second vertical expansion. As of 2010, the Larimer County Landfill is expected to last another 18.9 years. When the site can no longer be expanded, the facility will be closed according to current State and Federal regulations.
There are four types of waste, as categorized for the Larimer County Waste Composition Study. The four types of waste are: residential, commercial, self-haul, and construction and demolition. For more information and definitions of the four types of waste, refer to the Larimer County Waste Composition Study (2006-2007) [pdf].
What this chart shows: Solid Waste Collected at Larimer County Landfill, 2002-2011
Data Source: Larimer County Solid Waste Department (data not available online)
What the above data tell us:
Larimer County Landfill intake decreased 22% over the past 10 years. The Larimer County Landfill intake has been steadily declining in recent years due in part to an increase in recycling.These figures do not represent the full amount of waste produced by Larimer County residents. Some local haulers deliver loads to landfills outside of Larimer County. There is also a probability that some Larimer County residents haul their waste to landfills in Weld County [pdf].
What this chart shows: Hazardous Waste Collected at Larimer County Landfill, 2002-2011
Data Source: Larimer County Solid Waste Department (data not available online)
What the above data tell us:
Hazardous waste collection in Larimer County has remained fairly steady over the past 10 years, with collection peaking in 2005.Larimer County residents are not charged for disposing of hazardous waste at the collection facility. The facility is only open on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Please check the county's Household Hazardous Waste website for information on what materials are accepted.
What this chart shows: Fort Collins Solid Waste Collection, 2005-2011
Data Source: City of Fort Collins Utilities Department (data not available online)
What the above data tell us:
The City of Fort Collins does not operate a municipal solid waste collection system. Instead, residents in Fort Collins contract with one of three waste haulers (Gallegos Sanitation, Ram Waste Systems, or Waste Management). Curbside recycling is also available from these waste haulers.Because the City of Fort Collins does not have control over the process, it is more difficult to determine how much solid waste is collected from residents. Methodologies for determining these amounts have changed over the years, so it wasn't possible to obtain data prior to 2005.
The amount of solid waste collected in Fort Collins has decreased 45% between 2005 and 2011. Officials with the City of Fort Collins were not aware of a particular reason for this trend, but further analysis by the Environmental Sustainability Services Department may offer an explanation in the future.
What this chart shows: Loveland Solid Waste Collection, 2002-2011
Data Source: City of Loveland Utilities Department (data not available online)
What the above data tell us:
The amount of waste collected in Loveland increased nearly 32% from 2002 to 2011. Part of the increase in solid waste generation was due to population increase. According to the Larimer County Planning Department, the Loveland's population increased nearly 21% between 2002 and 2011. Also during this time period, trash collection methods gradually changed from bag collection to cart pick up. The carts range in size and can hold more trash than bags used previously.Related Information on COMPASS-
- Electricity Consumption
- Environment: Quality
- Population Size & Growth
- Recycling
- Water Consumption
- Wind Energy Consumption
Other Resources-
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment - Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division: State agency responsible for regulating the management and disposal of solid waste in Colorado.
- Colorado State University - Recycling & Integrated Solid Waste (ISW) Trash Services: Information about the University's management of solid waste and recyclables.
- Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Solid Waste: Federal agency responsible for regulating the disposal of all solids wastes generated in the United States. Detailed information on the production, disposal, and effects of all types of solid wastes.
- Fort Collins Department of Natural Resources: Information about the department in the City of Fort Collins responsible for solid and hazardous waste management.
- Larimer County Solid Waste Department: Information about the department in Larimer County responsible for recycling and solid waste management.
- Loveland Public Works Department-Solid Waste Division: Information about the department in the City of Loveland responsible for solid and hazardous waste management.
Industry Standards or Target: N/A
Data Tables:
Larimer County Landfill Intake
|
Year |
Solid Waste |
Hazardous Waste |
|
2002 |
978,386 |
1,704,321 |
|
2003 |
939,272 |
1,713,238 |
|
2004 |
848,380 |
1,854,547 |
|
2005 |
849,887 |
1,961,166 |
|
2006 |
759,970 |
1,925,334 |
|
2007 |
804,854 |
1,875,077 |
|
2008 |
755,098 |
1,944,417 |
|
2009 |
706,603 |
1,745,990 |
|
2010 |
645,412 |
1,735,740 |
|
2011 |
766,117 |
1,555,616 |
Fort Collins Solid Waste Collection
|
Year |
Total Tons Collected |
|
2005 |
237,747 |
|
2006 |
224,700 |
|
2007 |
227,842 |
|
2008 |
187,510 |
|
2009 |
159,708 |
|
2010 |
129,867 |
|
2011 |
132,018 |
Loveland Solid Waste Collection
|
Year |
Total Tons Collected |
|
2002 |
14,975 |
|
2003 |
14,496 |
|
2004 |
15,051 |
|
2005 |
16,339 |
|
2006 |
19,727 |
|
2007 |
19,032 |
|
2008 |
19,797 |
|
2009 |
20,214 |
|
2010 |
19,906 |
|
2011 |
19,787 |