Peoria Considers Allowing Yard Waste Into Landfills

Date: January 24, 2002

Source: News Room

More than a decade after Illinois banned tossing yard waste into the garbage to conserve space in landfills, Peoria wants to temporarily lift the landscape waste ban to save money. The decision would make the central Illinois town one of the first municipalities in the state--and the nation--to challenge a law that prohibits commingling yard refuse with household garbage. Opponents say dumping landscape waste back into landfills could reverse that decade of progress and harm the public's perception of the value of recycling. Though the city has not yet found the necessary legislative support, critics are unnerved by the mere idea. If it plays in Peoria, they fear, it could set a national precedent. The city of Peoria spends $1 million a year collecting yard waste from 36,000 homes. The Peoria County recycling rate, which includes mandatory commercial recycling, is 37 percent, well above the state goal of 25 percent. But last year, the City Council found it could save an estimated $200,000 if the same garbage truck collected both the yard clippings and the regular trash, and then dumped it into the same cell at the Peoria City/County Landfill.

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