Missouri diverts 47 percent of trash from landfills

Missourians surpassed a statewide conservation goal and diverted 47 percent of the state’s 5.5 million tons of waste from landfills, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The department announced that, when distributed across Missouri’s population, an estimated 1 ton of waste per person was saved – comparable to the approximate 1.07 tons of waste sent to landfills by each person.

The state set a goal in 1990 to save 40 percent of waste each year. Since 2001, Missouri has consistently exceeded the goal, saving 41 percent that year, 43 percent in 2002 and 45 percent in 2003, according to Raechell Henley, a planner with the department.

Missouri has 20 solid waste management districts to promote waste prevention. The department cites economic growth, busy lifestyles, food habits and changes in living standards as causes for an increase in waste generation.

Tips for keeping trash out of landfills, according to the department’s Web site, include avoiding the purchase of over-packaged or disposable products, buying concentrated products and reusing cardboard boxes and paper bags.[[In-content Ad]]