Lebanon’s Solid Waste Division practices reuse whenever and wherever it can. Recently, the Solid Waste Division took delivery of a tarp deployment system. This new piece of equipment allows staff to use reusable tarps to cover trash instead of using soil.
The tarps are deployed over trash at the end of each day and rolled back up the next morning, to be reused again. The Solid Waste permit for the landfill requires that six inches of soil or a tarp be placed over trash at the end of each working day. The tarps cannot be used on Saturdays or during extreme weather events like high winds and snowstorms.
So, what's the big deal? Every time the tarps are used, six inches of landfill volume are preserved (nearly 200 cubic feet). The use of tarps also saves staff time. Covering trash with the use of tarps takes only minutes. This allows staff to work on other tasks. The use of tarps extends the useful “life” of the Lebanon Landfill, ensuring a local disposal option further into the future.
More Interesting Facts
- Do you have an estimate on how much extra life this will give the landfill? Although it is difficult to determine, using tarps has the potential to extend the life of our landfill by 10%. That is one year over the course of ten years.
- Why can't it be used on Saturdays? Our permit states that tarps can only be used for 24 hours. Saturday to Monday exceeds that limit.
- Do you have to use soil during high weather events? Yes, we still will use soils and other cover products like demolition chips. Soils and other cover materials will be used in extreme weather.
- How much wind can the tarps sustain? Wind can blow pretty hard here at the landfill. The tarps can sustain blasts around 20 MPH.
- How long do the tarps last? The tarps can last up to three years before needing to be replaced. The machine should last at least 15 years.
Original source can be found here.
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