The Montezuma County landfill is seeking to change its operations from a bale system to a compaction system.
At the request of the Montezuma County commission, the landfill will begin the process of applying for a new Engineered and Operations Permit from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment.
“It will take between 18 and 24 months to switch the permit over,” said interim manager Shaq Powers.
Currently, commercial haulers dump solid waste on a warehouse tipping floor, where it is pushed onto a conveyor belt to a baling machine. The baled blocks are carried by heavy equipment and stacked in the landfill, then covered in dirt.
With a compaction system, haulers will dump the solid waste directly at the landfill, and a specialized, steel-wheel compactor drives across it. Then a layer of dirt is added.
Commissioner Larry Don Suckla has been critical of the bale system at the landfill.
Compaction will free up the bailer for more recycling, he said, which could increase capacity to recycle by 40 percent.
“We can do both, and even accept recyclables from other sources,” he said.
The landfill will continue working with Four Corners Recycling to bale and process materials they collect. The landfill has also teamed up with Southwest Open High on a pilot program to investigate baling plastic for recycling.
Officials said the advantage of a compaction operation is that it saves money on electricity costs to constantly run the baler.
A compactor for the new system will need to be purchased, leased, or rented.
“How much that will be is not yet determined, and it will go out to bid,” Powers said.
Compaction will not require additional staff and not affect the public services offered by the landfill.
“Our staff will go through training for the new system,” Powers said.
Currently, paper and cardboard are baled for recycling at the landfill, and handling additional recyclable products is planned.
Powers said the landfill is investigating going to a single-stream recycling model. In a single-stream system, different recyclables are brought in commingle, stored, then sold to a Materials Reclamation Facility, which separates them.
Suckla wants to store glass at the landfill for eventual milling and reuse, including in concrete and for trail base.
“Once we get a 2-to 3-year supply of glass, we can involve the community on what to do with it,” he said. “I don’t think we should shy away from other counties delivering recyclables to us.”
The commissioners plan to have a meeting with waste haulers to get their input.
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