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Clark County study finds roughly half of landfill‑bound trash is recoverable; food waste tops the list
Summary
County staff told council a waste‑characterization study found about 45%–46% of material arriving as garbage is recoverable, with edible food/vegetative waste the largest recoverable category; staff outlined outreach, organics and siting implications.
Joelle Loescher, solid waste and recycling division manager for Clark County Public Works, and Sarah Schroeder, the county’s environmental operations specialist senior, presented the results of a Cascadia Consulting‑led waste characterization study at a Clark County Council work session.
The study sampled garbage (not materials already routed for recycling or composting) across the county’s three transfer stations over four seasons and included 244 field samples. "45% to 46% were recoverable material that came through as garbage," Sarah Schroeder told the council, and staff reported a total of 190,009 tons identified as recoverable in the study.
Why it matters: staff said the findings will be folded into the county’s next solid and hazardous waste management plan revision and will inform transfer‑station operations, collection contracts and targeted outreach. Loescher said the data will help the county compare local patterns with statewide findings and better tailor programs for Clark County’s border‑county conditions.
Key findings and methods - The study analyzed only landfill‑bound garbage; recyclable or…
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