Solid Waste Count Down in Virginia
According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's annual solid waste management report, the total amount of solid waste received in state facilities during 2007 decreased by about 1.8 million tons from 2006.
Solid waste includes municipal solid waste, construction and demolition debris, vegetative and yard waste, and other types of waste. The total amount of solid waste from outside Virginia decreased by about 134,000 tons (1.8 percent) to about 7.1 million tons. The total amount from within Virginia decreased by 1.6 million tons (9 percent) to about 16.2 million tons.
Other findings of the report include:
• Of the nearly 23.4 million tons of solid waste reported in 2007, about 15.9 million tons (67.9 percent) were municipal solid waste, which is trash from households and businesses.
• The total amount of municipal solid waste generated outside Virginia was 5.6 million tons, a decrease of about 137,000 tons (2.4 percent). Maryland, New York, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and New Jersey accounted for 96.8 percent of all waste received from out-of-state sources.
• Of the total solid waste reported in 2007, about 4.3 million tons (18.5 percent) were construction and demolition debris.
• Of the total solid waste managed in Virginia in 2007, about 16 million tons (82.4 percent) were disposed of in landfills, about 2.1 million tons (11 percent) were incinerated, and the rest was managed by other means, including mulching and recycling.
For the full report, visit www.deq.virginia.gov.