I drive past the Collier County Landfill every Wednesday on my way to class at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. It's tucked out of view right off Collier Blvd, across the street from Golden Gate High School. I have never wondered what goes on there. I have never wondered what they are doing with our trash or the impact their methods are having on our community, much less our Earth. At least not until visiting the Lee County Waste to Energy Facility this past month.
The science behind the waste to energy facility is difficult to explain. It involves extensive knowledge of chemicals and environmental studies. The common girl explanation of the process would be this: Trash and recyclables are sorted by machines, and then again by Lee County Waste employees. They are responsible for grabbing things off the conveyor belt which the machine missed. These items are thrown into the proper chute and the process continues for them just the same as it would for the materials still on the conveyor belt. Recyclable materials are collected then sold and shipped to all around the country. Items which cannot be recycled are burned to create energy, like a power plant. At this point, the smoke that results from burning the non recyclable items is part of another long process in which the pollutants are removed and the end product is merely steam. The facility was named one of the most efficient waste management sites in the world.
On the other hand, the Collier County Landfill buries their trash in the Earth. Citizens of the county can expect the executives of Collier County Waste Management to start looking for another site in the next 10 years as they are projected to run out of land if they continue on the past they're on. Collier County Waste Management is also responsible for high amounts of menthane being released into the atmosphere. Furthermore, they are not providing a service to the community like Lee County Waste to Energy Facility is doing. The Lee County facility is providing electricity to nearly 30,000 homes.
After learning this information on my last class field trip, I made it a point to take a drive past the Collier County landfill. Now that I was looking, I noticed how conveniently the landfill was hidden from the main road. Out of sight, out of mind... At least that's what the Collier County Waste Management executives are hoping. It really upsets me it can take so long to stir up change, especially when our world is on the line. As temperatures continue to rise and species loss is a threat we're having to acknowledge, I believe that the Collier County Landfill should be making every effort to purchase the newest technology and begin following Lee County's lead to reduce their impact. I understand that it's quite an investment up front but Lee County has shown how efficient the process is. There are no excuses and now that I'm aware, I will not be turning my head as I drive past the Collier County landfill like the executives hope that so many people will.
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