Celebrating $3.2million Cost-Savings over 10 Years of Waste Diversion in Teton Valley
Congratulations Teton Valley residents, YOU HAVE DONE IT! $3.2 Million Wow!
Over the past decade, Teton Valley Idaho has achieved incredible milestones in waste diversion and recycling, and we at RAD Curbside are proud to be part of this impactful journey. Through collaboration with Teton Valley Community Recycling and Teton County Idaho, these efforts have not only benefited the environment but have also had a significant financial impact on our community.
Key Highlights from this ongoing success story:
- $3.2 Million NOT Spent Hauling waste to the Landfill
Our community has avoided spending over $3.2 million in landfill hauling costs by diverting waste. Come on... what's the math? Well, it costs ~$1000 per trip to the landfill to dump 22 tons of waste, through the diversion of over 70,000 tons, we have avoided sending 3200+ truckloads to the landfill. 3200 x $1000 = $3.2 million. This is a testament to the power of collective action and the importance of sustainable practices.
- The Power of Collaboration: Public + Private + Non-Profit = Greeeaaatttt Success!
This success wouldn’t be possible without the combined efforts of the Private, Public, and Non-Profit sectors along with local organizations, schools, and residents. By working together, we’re building a more sustainable future for Teton Valley by making recycling and diversion cheap, easy, and convenient.
Working Together: Private, Public and Non-Profit
- RAD Curbside – Private, Benefit Corp – Collection, Direct Education, Implementation & Statistical Tracking/Analysis
- Teton County Transfer Station – Public – Processing, Education, and Statistical Tracking/Analysis
- Teton Valley Community Recycling – 501c3 Non-Profit – Education, Grant Writing & Goal facilitation
So, What other economic value does Diversion & Recycling cause?
- Creating Local Living-Wage Jobs:
Diverting waste and management of those materials requires adequate labor force and supervision. Local living-wage positions have been created to collect materials, process the diverted materials, and oversee the logistics as well as sell or repurpose the recycled & diverted materials. In short, diversion and recycling create jobs instead of putting materials in a hole AND it pays for itself! - Reducing “Landfill Liabilities: a lingering substantial cost"
Did you know that the trash we put in a landfill can still end up costing us millions? Thousands of tons of waste have been kept out of landfills over the last ten years. If there is an issue like a leak at the landfill and it is determined by regulatory entities like the EPA & DEQ, we may have to help pay for the costs to clean up the issue. - Free $...Grants, Grants, Grants!
Balers and Balers, C&D sort pads and signage oh my! Through the robust results of diversion and recycling, TVCR & Teton County have applied for and been awarded a variety of grants that have subsidized the improved processing infrastructure for recycling so we can grow and process more volumes of material and different types of materials! The grant money has supported buying multiple balers, signage for bins, educational efforts directly to general contractors for sorting construction waste, and most recently the Construction and demolition sorting pad located at the T.C. Transfer station!
As a proud partner of this effort, RAD Curbside is committed to the initiative and will continue to make recycling easier and more accessible for residents and businesses. From curbside collection to educational programs, we will play our part in driving waste reduction in Teton Valley.
Together, we’re proving that small actions add up to big change. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey—we couldn’t do it without you!
Want to dive deeper into this inspiring story? Check out the full article from Teton Valley News to learn more about the impact of our community’s efforts and how you can continue to make a difference: Read the Article Here.