SWANA And USCC Issue A Joint Statement On The Relationship Of Composting And Bioreactor Landfills

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the United States Composting Council (USCC) have released a joint statement on the relationship of composting and bioreactor landfill technologies.The joint statement was developed by the SWANA Landfill Management Division and the USCC Legislative and Environmental Affairs Committee and was approved by the Board of Directors of both organizations.

"This joint statement illustrates SWANA and the USCC's mutual commitment to support solid waste management practices that capture the highest value and maximum resources from solid waste while protecting public health and preserving environmental quality." said John H. Skinner, Ph.D., SWANA Executive Director and CEO, "We agree that composting and bioreactor landfills can work together to contribute to these goals."

Dr. Stuart Buckner, Executive Director of USCC added "It is important that both SWANA and the USCC agree that composting of organic materials is the highest and best use of these residuals and that emphasis should continue to be placed on recovering and recycling as much organic waste as possible from the solid waste stream. We agree, however, that the bioreactor approach can be used to improve the environmental performance of landfills without compromising our commitment to reducing our dependence on landfills by increasing the composting of organic wastes."

About SWANA:
For over 40 years, SWANA, The Solid Waste Association of North America, has been the leading professional association in the solid waste management field. SWANA's mission is "to advance the practice of environmentally and economically sound management of municipal solid waste." SWANA serves over 7,500 members and thousands more industry professionals with technical conferences, certifications, publications and a large offering of technical training courses.

About USCC:

Established in 1990, the US Composting Council (USCC) is the only national organization in the United States dedicated to the development, expansion and promotion of the composting industry.The USCC achieves this mission by encouraging, supporting and performing compost related research, promoting best management practices, establishing standards, educating professionals and the public about the benefits of composting and compost utilization, enhancing compost product quality, and developing training materials for composters and markets for compost products. Working together as Council members, we envision compost producers, generators of organic residues, policy-makers, regulators, professionals and product users will pursue this mission. The USCC is a non-profit organization that also directs the Composting Council Research and Education Foundation (CCREF), a charitable foundation, which administers public and private research and education activities. The USCC serves over 500 members and thousands more industry professionals with education, state-of-the-art conferences and training courses. For more information, visit www.compostingcouncil.org.