An Overview of the Integrated System

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A Balanced Approach

It used to be that people gave very little thought to getting rid of waste. Dump it. Burn it. Forget it.

Today, however, communities understand that their solid waste management decisions will have a lasting impact on the environment for many generations. In Lancaster County, where farmland and busy communities have long coexisted, the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority has developed an innovative system to provide the best combination of safe, clean, and efficient disposal. It’s called an integrated system, and it’s the only one of its kind in Pennsylvania.

By choosing wisely among recycling, incineration, and landfilling, the Authority is taking a balanced approach to solid waste management that protects our air, water, and land. The integrated system allows for the disposal of waste in the most environmentally beneficial manner. As a result, the flow of waste into the landfill is reduced, which means that it will last longer and consume far less land over time. The consumption of natural resources is reduced by generating energy from the waste and diverting a large portion of the waste for recycling or reuse.

Meeting Its Mission

The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority mission is to manage solid waste and recyclable materials in an environmentally safe, reliable, and efficient manner. It is led by a nine member board of directors, who are appointed by the Lancaster County Commissioners. The Authority is financed primarily by waste disposal fees and by proceeds from the sale of electricity from its Resource Recovery Facility. There is no assistance from tax dollars.

It Takes All of Us

It's easy to forget the important role that solid waste management plays in maintaining the quality of life in our communities. For most of us, the disposal process is a simple matter of taking our trash to the curb and retrieving the empty containers at the end of the day. But safe, clean, and effective solid waste management practices are everybody's business, and we urge every Lancaster County resident to learn more about how the choices we make today will affect the future quality of our environment.

Education is an important part of our mission at the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, and one that we take very seriously. We offer tours of all our facilities, produce informational brochures, and host municipal recycling workshops to help communities understand and choose recycling options. Click here for tour information.

So whether you own a business or run a household, whether you're young or old, you share in the stewardship of our precious Lancaster County environment. By taking a few minutes to separate your recyclables and by being conscientious about disposing of household hazardous waste, you're helping to ensure that our county will be a wonderful place to live for many years to come.