Memphis' Bureau of Solid Waste Management disposed of 225,814 tons of solid waste at Class 1 landfills last year, about 5,600 tons more than in 2009. Class 1 landfills are designated for most municipal and residential waste.
For the most part, though, less and less solid waste gets deposited in landfills each year. Even though tonnage was up last year, overall it is down about 65,530 tons since 2003.
Drop-off, curbside and appliance recycling is also down, to 8,992 tons in 2010 from 9,600 tons the year before. In 2008, the city recycled 9,774 tons of waste.
The city also mulched or composted 111,304 tons of yard debris in 2010, which is down slightly from 2009, when it diverted 113,991 tons of compostable debris from landfills. But last year's tonnage is still higher than the amounts recorded in 2008 and 2007.
In all, the city collected about 396,132 tons of solid waste last year, down about 3,656 tons from 2009.
Source: City of Memphis Solid Waste Management
Now You Know is compiled by data reporter Grant Smith of The Commercial Appeal staff. If you have a suggestion for a topic, e-mail him at email@example.com.
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