America generates over 290 million tons of trash every year. According to the EPA, more than 146 million tons of this waste ends up in landfills. While most people would see waste as a threat to the environment, landfill owners see a profitable business opportunity. They make money and protect the environment simultaneously.
Two giants in the garbage industry are Republic Services and Waste Management. Leveraging modern technology, they turn trash into money by tapping into landfill gas and selling it to local authorities and businesses.
Below, we've created a list of the largest landfills in the U.S. that create a fortune from Americans' garbage.
1. Sunshine Canyon
Location: California
Operator: Republic Services
Tons per day: 9000
Remaining life: Approximately 14 years
Sunshine Canyon is located in Sylmar, the northmost neighborhood of the largest city in California (Los Angeles). The landfill rests on 1036 acres of land, but only 363 acres are used for waste disposal. It's home to non-hazardous waste from commercial and residential establishments.
Between 500-600 truckloads of municipal solid waste (MSW) end up in Sunshine Canyon per day. This equals about 45,000 tons of garbage weekly and 2.5 million tons yearly. The landfill is expected to continue receiving waste until 2037. With over 950 gas wells on the site, the operator claims that the landfill gas-to-energy plant powers 25k homes.
2. El Sobrante
Location: California
Operator: Waste Management
Tons per day: About 9000
Remaining life: Nearly 40 years
The landfill can process up to 70,000 tons of garbage weekly and processes nearly 43% of Riverside County's yearly waste. According to the operator, the landfill can process about 2 million tons of waste annually. But in 2021, it processed over 3 million metric tons of waste. As of 2014, the remaining capacity was 209 million cubic yards.
The landfill rests on 1322 acres of land, but only 468 acres can be used for waste disposal. The operator has set aside over 600 acres for permanent wildlife preservation and has a landfill gas collection system. The system generates energy that powers thousands of homes. The landfill's estimated life expectancy is nearly 40 years. It will close approximately in 2061.
3. Frank R. Bowerman Landfill
Location: California
Operator: OC Waste & Recycling
Tons per day: 8500
Remaining life: approximately 30 years
Frank R. Bowerman is one of the largest landfills in California and the 9th in the U.S., according to the operator. The site rests on 725 acres of land but only 534 is set aside for waste disposal. The government has permitted the landfill to receive 11,500 tons of waste per day, but the annual average is 8500 tons. The annual waste received on the site is approximately 2.5 million tons.
It's a commercial-only landfill. No public disposal is allowed, and municipal solid waste is only accepted after verification of commercial status. The site is estimated to continue functioning until 2053. Additionally, it has a powerplant that converts landfill gas to electricity that can power 26,000 homes.
4. Denver Arapahoe
Location: Colorado
Operator: Waste Management
Tons per day: About 8000
Remaining life: Over 20 years
Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site (DADS) in Aurora lies on 2364 acres of land, but only 1363 acres can be used for disposal. The landfill processes about 2.1 million tons of garbage, which includes:
- Municipal solid waste
- Non-hazardous industrial waste
- Asbestos
- Construction & demolition debris
- Oil exploration & production waste
- Yard waste.
With 211 gas collection wells, the gas-to-energy plant in the landfill powers over 25,000 homes yearly in Colorado.
5. Columbia Ridge Landfill
Location: Oregon
Operator: Waste Management
Tons per day: About 8000
Remaining life: 120 years
Columbia Ridge landfill is located in north central Oregon. It lies on 12,000 acres of land, but only 700 acres are permitted for disposal. The landfill receives approximately 2 million tons of waste annually. However, the site processed 2.9 million tons of garbage in 2021.
Columbia Ridge still has space for about 320 million tons of waste, which means the landfill has a long life expectancy. It primarily serves households, businesses, and industries from Oregon and Washington.
The facility leverages wind power and environmentally friendly technologies to convert waste into clean energy. It has over 100 wells for collecting landfill gas that is transformed into electricity that can power about 12500 homes.
The landfill only accepts non-hazardous wastes, such as municipal solid waste, industrial & special waste, and construction and demolition debris.
6. Roosevelt Regional Landfill
Location: Washington
Operator: Republic Services
Tons per day: Over 8000
Remaining life: Over 40 years
The landfill's capacity is 120 million tons. It receives waste from industrial, residential, and commercial establishments. The waste includes MSW, construction & demolition debris, petroleum-contaminated soils, and wood wastes.
According to the operator, it also has a gas power plant, which generates electricity that can power over 20,000 homes. The plant converts landfill gas to electricity. Roosevelt Regional Landfill may eventually produce power for about 30,000 homes in the nearby communities.
7. Atlantic Waste Disposal
Location: Virginia
Operator: Waste Management
Tons per day: About 8000
Remaining life: Over 20 years
The landfill receives non-hazardous waste, like MSW, yard waste, and construction & demolition debris. Hazardous wastes are not accepted.
8. Pine Tree Acres Landfill
Location: Michigan
Operator: Waste Management
Tons per day: Over 7500
Remaining life: Approximately 20 years
Pine Tree Acres was opened in the late '80s. The landfill is seated on 755.44 acres, but only 283 is allocated for waste disposal. In 2014, the remaining capacity was 83 million cubic yards. Nearly a decade later, this capacity has decreased if you consider that the site processes approximately 2.2 million tons of garbage yearly.
Pine Tree Acres has two gas-to-energy plants that generate electricity capable of powering 19,500 homes. It's a non-hazardous waste landfill that accepts municipal solid waste, industrial waste, construction & demolition debris, and asbestos.
9. Olinda Alpha Landfill
Location: California
Operator: OC Waste & Recycling
Tons per day: About 7000
Remaining Life: Less than ten years
Opened over 50 years ago, Olinda Alpha Landfill sits on 565 acres of land, but only 453 acres are set aside for waste disposal. The site can legally receive up to 8000 tons of waste per day but usually processes about 7000 tons. That's 2 million tons of garbage per year.
The landfill is expected to close by 2030, and like many others, it has a power plant that converts landfill gas to energy. The electricity from the plant can power over 22,000 homes. The site also participates in habitat restoration.
10. Newton County Landfill
Location: Texas
Operator: Waste Management
Tons per day: About 800
Remaining life: Over 20 years
The legal capacity is 16.9 million cubic yards, and the landfill processes 250,000 tons yearly. The landfill serves southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.
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