Trash Talk Inside the Modern Landfill and Recycling Industry

Join The Wolf River Conservancy and Jason West, General Manager of Republic Services for a discussion of recycling and sustainability.

What really happens after the trash truck pulls away? This talk offers an in-depth look at the evolution of waste management—from the unregulated “dumps” of the past to today’s highly engineered and environmentally monitored landfills. We’ll explore how modern landfills are designed to protect groundwater and air quality through liner systems, daily operations, and gas collection technology.

Mr West will also discuss the vital role of recycling in reducing landfill demand. Learn how recycling functions as a parallel to manufacturing, how materials are sorted, processed, and sold, and how facilities like Republic Services’ Polymer Center are pushing innovation in plastics recycling. Whether you're curious about how waste is handled or how recycled commodities make their way back into new products, this talk connects the dots between disposal, recovery, and sustainable resource management.

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