KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Construction is underway on the last, active ‘landfill cell’ in Kent County.
The project, seen from overhead via drone Wednesday, will help the Department of Public Works divert 90% of the trash, traditionally bound for Kent County dumps by 2030.
The South Kent Landfill sits on approximately 105 acres in Byron Center and is the County’s final active landfill.
Since it opened in 1982, crews have used the site to dispose of nearly eight-million-tons of waste.
With the addition under construction at the time of publication, the landfill was expected to reach capacity sometime in 2029.
The project is part of the County’s effort to reduce its footprint and divert trash from landfills with technology.
In June, public works board members will review a proposal to construct a bioenergy facility, a venture referred to as a ‘Sustainable Business Park’.
If constructed, the facility would be able to covert an estimated 400-thousand tons of solid waste into renewable natural gas and fertilizer, while recycling much of what remains.
“We know that 75% of what gets deposited in this landfill could actually be repurposed and reclaimed, and that's really our goal,” Steve Faber of the Public Works Department related.
Three landfills have already closed in Sparta, Kentwood and North Kent.
Even inactive, the sites are still monitored by the county in conjunction with environmental agencies.
The Kent County Board of Public Works will meet in June to discuss the proposed sustainable business park partnership.
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