Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District serves Davis and Morgan Counties in Utah, including 15 cities. The administrative control board consists of 19 representatives, to represent each of the cities and counties. Wasatch has a long history of using waste as a resource, including operating a waste-to-energy facility for 30 years, a composting facility, a thrift store, and a material recovery facility (MRF). With Wasatch’s landfill nearing closure, Wasatch’s board and staff updated its 20-year solid waste management plan and implemented more solutions to divert, recycle, and reduce waste.

The updated plan is designed to extend landfill life, reducing transfer costs and improving the system’s environmental performance by improving landfill diversion through more robust recycling programs at the city level. Wasatch’s MRF opened in 2020 as a mixed-waste processing facility. After two years of operation, it was apparent that reliable markets would not developing for the organics and engineered fuel produced. Wasatch shifted to only processing single-stream recyclables through the MRF. 

With the implementation of strong policy by Wasatch’s board and help from member cities, Davis and Morgan counties are rolling out recycling programs and diverting more waste than ever before. Wasatch believes that diverting up to 30 percent of the residential waste stream through robust curbside recycling and green waste programs is attainable through effective infrastructure, policy, and education. Wasatch’s team designed recycling signage and other educational materials for new and established recycling programs to increase recycling participation. The session will cover Wasatch’s decision to build a MRF, operational setbacks and upgrades, and policy that is helping the transition of waste diversion and circularity goals.