The practice of filling a hole in the ground with our waste has been around for centuries. Improvements have been made over time, but landfills represent just one old way of disposing of waste.
Landfills take up a lot of land. They bury recyclable resources and release greenhouse gases. They create nuisances for neighbors and can create a number of environmental issues if they are improperly managed or sited or if something goes wrong.
Today, there are a number of waste-to-energy technologies available to communities. This is done to reduce a community’s reliance on landfills and to create a way to recover resources.
Expand the Waste-to-Energy facility … when the time comes
Shady Hills does more than get rid of our solid waste – it provides Pasco County with economic benefit.
That’s because the county receives around approximately $15 million a year for the energy the plant produces. Some estimates have suggested that Pasco could get closer to $22 million in revenue by expanding the plant.
It makes sense both economically and environmentally.
In fact, there are many new cutting-edge technologies available that can turn our waste into gas, like plasma-arc, gasifiers and others. Surely more will come.
Recycling
When we recycle, we preserve natural resources. What many people don’t realize is that recycling is also a form of waste reduction.
It’s a pretty simple proposition: If it gets recycled or reused, then it doesn’t go to the landfill.
We need to stop throwing our money in the garbage! Right now, Pasco only recycles about 1 percent of its municipal solid waste. Mandatory recycling could significantly reduce Pasco’s solid waste stream like it has in many other communities around the world.
By investing in the county’s recycling program and encouraging people to support it, we could save space, money and resources.
Everyone wins – including the environment. Dumping your recyclables in the trash is like putting money down the garbage disposal.