Virginia waste imports drop 3.4% in 2012

The amount of out-of-state solid waste that ended up in Virginia – one of the top states for importing waste – fell about 3.4% in 2012.

Virginia took in 5.4 million tons of waste from outside its borders, which was down about 190,000 tons, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality.

About 25 states send waste to Virginia but five states account for 97.7% of all waste received from outside the state. Maryland made up the largest share of 40.8% followed by New York at 26.7%, Washington, D.C. at 20.1%, New Jersey at 6.4% and North Carolina at 3.6%.

Virginia's DEQ also recorded a 1.9% decline in the amount of solid waste from within the state. It was down to about 14.9 million tons.

The figures represent municipal solid waste, construction debris and yard waste. Almost 74% of the solid waste managed in Virginia during 2012 was landfilled on-site while 12.8% was incinerated on-site. The rest was managed by other means, including 3.9% sent off site to be recycled, 2.8% recycled on-site, 1.8% mulched, 1.3% stored on site, and 1% composted.

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http://www.wasterecyclingnews.com/article/20130701/NEWS01/130709989/virginia-waste-imports-drop-3-4-in-2012