There is no trash cannot, only trash can

Did you know that Delaware County produces over 370,000 tons of waste a year? That’s about 1000 tons per day, nearly equivalent to if you filled 30 shipping containers full of trash. The Delco Times recently produced an insightful article on where our trash goes (click here)

After sorting the trash, we burn 85% of it at the ReWorld Incinerator in Chester (THE largest trash incinerator in the entire United States). You can learn more about the ReWorld Incinerator here (click here)

The ReWorld Incinerator in Chester, turning trash into electricity.

So what are we doing about it you might ask?

The recently adopted Zero Waste plan from Delaware County was in the works since 2022, and while there are many interpretations of what “zero waste” is, our county chose the following:

“The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”

Specifically in regards to burning our trash, the county found that:
• Incineration at the ReWorld plant was worse for the environment and human health than using existing landfills

• The difference in transportation of said waste whether it was to the incinerator or landfill was insignificant

• The reduction in CO2 emissions alone (let alone the other harmful components of waste smoke) would be equivalent to removing over 140,000 cars off the streets of Delco.

In addition to moving from incineration to landfill, the county has proposed dozens of other initiatives planned to roll out in the next 10 years. “The priority is to focus on strategies that reduce consumption (address waste at the source) while maximizing opportunities for recycling and composting. The ultimate measure of success is in lowering the per capita volume of waste disposal.”
Read more directly from the county (click here)