Overview
Integrated Waste Management simply means using all of the following components when managing the County’s waste. In other words, all management techniques available are used to reduce the amount (volume) and the harmfulness (toxicity) of the waste disposed of in the county. It also means trying to gain value from waste as a resource, rather than just burying it in the ground.
Components
The County integrated system is a partnership between public and private entities to provide a complete system for managing waste. Components of the County Integrated System include:
- County education programs explain waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, showing citizens and businesses how to reduce the amount of waste they generate.
- The Blue Earth County Recycling Center provides opportunities for citizens and businesses to reduce their waste stream by recycling. This facility is provided by the County through a contract with Waste Management, Inc.
- The Blue Earth County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility provides free disposal of hazardous materials from households, reducing the toxicity of the garbage produced.
- Resource Recovery System is a partnership of privately owned industries which function together to process the County’s garbage to create fuel and burn the fuel to create electricity. This is the system which captures energy resources from the waste.
- The Ponderosa Landfill provides safe disposal for waste material that cannot be processed (residual waste) or which is not required to be taken through the Integrated System to Resource Recovery.