Dive Brief:

• The city of Henderson, KY has begun looking into future plans for disposing of its construction and demolition (C&D) waste as the local landfill nears capacity. Officials estimate it may have another four years left, but hope to have a transition plan ready within one year, as reported by the Gleaner.
• One option is to send waste to the nearby Daviess County landfill, which currently accepts the city's residential waste, though that would require building a new transfer station to handle the separate material.
• Regardless of where the material ends up, the city also plans to step up recycling efforts to reduce the amount that needs to be transported. This could involve grinding tree limbs into mulch, recycling concrete and finding a better solution for roofing products. 

Dive Insight:

The Henderson landfill used to also accept residential waste but stopped in 1996 to extend the site's lifespan. Since then it has solely taken items such as lumber and concrete, which has helped keep costs down. Commercial customers from the county currently pay $40 per 400 tons of material compared to $70 per ton for customers from elsewhere. 

Henderson has also considered building a new landfill, but initial estimates showed it could cost $1 million per acre. As they did in 1996, the city is hoping that advanced planning will help them avoid major costs when the situation becomes more imminent.

Advance planning is key for any landfills nearing capacity. Some landfills, such as one in Colorado, have turned to recycling education as a way to prolong their site's lifespan. Others, such as one in Alabama, have put the planning off until much later in the game. Waiting too long can lead to forced expenses and Henderson seems determined to make sure that doesn't happen.