The 2017-2018 Michigan DEQ ‘Report of Solid Waste Landfilled in Michigan’ has recently been released. The largest source of waste imports to Michigan continues to be from Canada, with total reported imports to landfills of 9,770,385 cubic yards, down 802,537 cubic yards or about 7.6 percent from the FY 2017 report data. Canadian waste imports equal about 18.6 percent of all waste disposed in Michigan landfills.
Waste reported from other states and Canada totaled about 23.9 percent of all solid waste disposed in Michigan landfills. Imported waste comprised 25.5 percent of solid waste disposed in Michigan landfills in the previous year. Further, the data that follow outline the out-of-state imports to Michigan over the past twenty-three FYs. Imports from other states increased to 2,742,502 cubic yards from 2,307,845 cubic yards, an increase of about 18.8 percent.
Recently elected Democrat Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, ran on a platform that included the following statement regarding Canadian waste importation:
Stopping Canadian Trash
» Michigan remains a regional dumping ground for waste from Canada and surrounding states. In 2016, over 11 million cubic yards of waste comprising more than 18 percent of all waste deposited in Michigan landfills came from outside the state.34 My administration will work with Michigan’s congressional delegation to reduce and eliminate the importation of out-of-state solid wastes.
OWMA will continue to monitor the volume of waste export to the U.S. and will continue to inform the Ontario government of the risks associated with waste export. Key will be any potential actions by the new Michigan Governor.
Report Below