Industrial landfills are sites used for the burial of waste and are an important component of the nation's industrial waste disposal system. To protect people and the environment, landfills and other industrial waste facilities are subject to tough federal and state regulations. But now, through new land use plans and technologies for the processing of our garbage, landfills are becoming part of the green culture in our country.

Whether your business is part of the industrial waste management industry or it produces industrial waste you can join the effort by:

1. Complying with industrial waste disposal regulations and keeping abreast of current information about industrial landfills and industrial waste facilities from state and federal sources.
2. Ensuring that your business contracts with the most reliable industrial waste management companies.
3. Learning about new initiatives for industrial waste recycling and reclamation of landfill space.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Be knowledgeable about state and federal regulations regarding industrial landfills

Consulting the federal and state websites related to industrial waste disposal and industrial waste facilities will help when you partner with an industrial waste management company to dispose of your business's industrial waste.

I recommend: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web site has a section devoted to solid waste landfills, including those that handle industrial waste. Check out the EPA's general information on industrial waste management, including a helpful guide that discusses, among other topics, the way waste producing businesses can partner with the community and regulatory agencies to better deal with industrial waste issues.

Investigate industrial waste management options that promote green technologies

Many landfill operations now include recycling and composting facilities; others are working toward ways to break down industrial waste faster to make more landfill space available.

I recommend: Consulting with industrial waste management companies, such as Waste Nations and Waste Management, that are exploring ways to reduce industrial waste before it gets to the landfill, using landfills to recycle electronics, construction, and demolition debris on site, or are using cutting edge technology to remediate landfill sites.

Join the effort to use landfill gases as an alternative energy source

Landfills emit gases that pollute the environment. Efforts are underway to turn these gases into alternative energy sources. Opportunities exist for waste industries to partner in this effort.

I recommend: Learn about the EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP), a program that seeks to reduce landfill gas emissions and recover methane gas for use as an alternative fuel. Discover which landfills are already part of the program and which are possible candidates for the future, as well as how waste industries, businesses, and individuals can be part of the effort.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Architects and land use planners are finding ways to reclaim landfills and convert them to other uses. Projects to transform landfills into golf courses, athletic fields, and even office buildings present new investment opportunities.