Sustainable Waste Management

PRS Briefs
2021-06
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Frandy
Rodriguez
Kelly
Zeilman
Madeline
Gochee
Amy
Park

Due to budget cuts in the Department of Environmental Services (DES) Solid Waste Management Bureau, New Hampshire has fallen behind in planning for the future of solid waste management. Four of the six landfills in the state are expected to close within the next decade, while the volume of trash diverted to landfills is not declining. This report explores the state of waste management in New Hampshire, investigates how other states are handling waste management challenges, and offers feasible solutions to reduce dependence on landfills in New Hampshire. The literature review explores the data available on waste management in New Hampshire, recycling, mass-burn waste-to-energy, and landfill gas-to-energy. Then, the body of the paper details landfill gas-to-energy, waste-to-energy, and reduction of solid waste as solutions to the landfill predicament in New Hampshire. The report closes by offering recommendations on steps that may be taken in New Hampshire, based on the findings of three previous sections, with the goal of managing waste in both an efficient and environmentally friendly manner.