MINING SUBURBIA

The urban/suburban waste stream contains a number of metals and other materials that can be diverted (recycled) and reused. Metals and minerals that once came from a mine in the ground are now mined from waste materials, saving some land from being affected by mining practices and other land from being used as a landfill. In the last 20 years, our company has diverted 1.24 million tons of debris out of landfills, including 30,000 tons of gypsum, 66,000 tons of steel, 1,000 tons of copper, and 800 tons of aluminum. Wood and wood products are also recovered in a manner similar to forestry practices. This paper will discuss what is in the typical waste stream, how it can be extracted, and why it is important that we continue to mine suburbia.