February 28, 2018 – According to Sarah Gardner, Rock Island County Waste Management Agency (RICWMA) staff coordinator, Rock Island County is served by two privately-owned and operated landfills. The county aims to achieve the state goal of a 25% diversion rate of material from the landfill, and historically has reported a rate between 22% and 31%. Nine communities in the county offer curbside recycling, and four additional drop-off sites are maintained by Republic Services and coordinated through RICWMA.
RICWMA also partners with Weikert Iron and Metal Recycling and the Waste Commission of Scott County to coordinate used tire, appliance, e-waste, and household hazardous material (HHM) recycling. In 2017, RICWMA programs collected 1015 tons of paper and plastic products, 72 tons of tires, 142 tons of recycled appliances, 239 tons of e-waste, and 95 tons of HHM.
Henry County has no active landfills, and solid waste generated within the county is transported elsewhere for disposal. Recycling efforts in the county are handled by Eagle Enterprises, which operates 11 single-stream drop off sites throughout the county, as well as curbside recycling in seven communities and private subscription service in two more. Eagle Enterprises also offers commercial recycling to Henry County businesses and maintains a drop-off site for e-waste. Together, these recycling activities generate between 8,000-9,000 tons of recycled material each year.
Solid waste in Muscatine County is sent to a landfill owned by the City of Muscatine, which receives an average of 40,000 tons of waste per year, as reported by Brian Stineman, City of Muscatine Public Works Director. In 2017, the landfill began work to open a new cell, and though it experienced some delays related to the effects of Hurricane Harvey on the liner manufacturer, the DNR approved usage of the new cell in January 2018. Muscatine also operates a compost site, which currently has a surplus of wood chips as a result of tornadoes in 2017.
Curbside recycling in Muscatine is contracted through Republic Services, and the city hosts an annual Spring Cleanup Week to collect e-waste, used tires, and old appliances. In 2017, this event collected 3 semi-trailer loads of e-waste, 3 semi loads of tires, and 287 used appliances.
Kathy Morris, Waste Commission of Scott County Director, noted that Scott County is served by the municipal Scott Area Landfill, which is operated by the Waste Commission of Scott County. The Waste Commission also operates a number of recycling programs for residents and businesses in the county. A recent change to single-stream recycling has resulted in a 250% increase in recycling tonnage for paper and plastics.
Other facility updates have reduced the potential for lifting/back injuries in the electronic demanufacturing facility, increased participation in the HHM program, decreased staff exposure risks to sharps and biohazards, and reduced dust at the landfill.
In 2017, the Waste Commission participated in a waste characterization study to better understand organic material in the waste stream and is currently evaluating the possibility of an organics program.
