Utah is among the least trashy places to live — if you are measuring the tons of solid waste disposed of at government-owned landfills on a per capita basis.
Out of 50 states examined by the IT Asset Management Group, Utah landed at 35 in the rankings with a little more than 100,000 tons of solid waste buried at government-owned landfills.
Patrick Craig is the executive director of the Salt Lake Valley Landfill in western Salt Lake City, where there are 450 acres at the fenced site. Craig said about 231 acres have been utilized, so there is room to grow.
“Landfills pretty much work like landfills and have since 1990, but the recycling and what we throw into them has changed substantially,” he said.
At Salt Lake Valley, for example, there are recycling options for those who lack curbside recycling, with the facility taking cardboard, plastic, cans and glass. The facility also takes tires and sends them out to tire recycling centers.
In addition, the Salt Lake County Health Department operates a satellite facility there to take hazardous materials such as paint and oil and provides an e-waste recycling opportunity for residents.