Lee County named to solid waste management excellence award
Each year the Solid Waste Association of North America recognizes those entities working in the solid waste industry for specific exemplary accomplishments. This year the Lee County Solid Waste Division was selected as the best in the nation from more than a hundred nominees for achieving the highest level of excellence for its solid waste management system.
The Lee County Solid Waste Division will be honored on Aug. 23, and receive the distinguished SWANA 2011 Gold Integrated Solid Waste Management Excellence Award in Nashville, TN, at a ceremony held at the 2011 WASTECON conference.
The Lee County Solid Waste Division has provided residents and businesses with reliable and economical waste and recycling management services for more than two decades. During this time the County has developed and expanded a system designed to optimize the value of the various waste materials for reuse, recycling, and energy production.
Residents and businesses alike support the County’s recycling programs and show above average participation in residential and construction debris recycling. Lee County has been the top recycling county in the State of Florida numerous times during the past ten years.
The Waste To Energy Facility continues to generate clean, renewable energy for Lee County and is the cornerstone of the Division’s integrated solid waste system. The Division has been able to keep residential solid waste assessments and commercial disposal fees affordable through recycling and the sale of electric power coupled with prudent fiscal management. Last week the County proposed to reduce disposal costs further.
Lee County was the first waste to energy facility in the nation to receive validation and verification of its greenhouse gas reduction ability. The sale of carbon credits achieved from the avoidance of greenhouse gases by the operation of the third combustion unit at the Waste To Energy facility has been successful both national and global carbon markets.
The production of OrganicLee compost from biosolids and mulch has proven to be another well received program by residents and commercial growers and further proves the Division’s commitment and participation in achieving Lee County’s sustainability mission.
The County also operates the only publicly owned single stream materials recovery facility and construction debris recycling facility in the State.
The Division produced and submitted a comprehensive system description to SWANA including details about environmental and operational achievements and fiscal programs, system improvements, and expansions, community and employee relations, and management processes. The winner was chosen by a knowledgeable SWANA panel that reviewed the submitted document and ranked the Lee County System above other community systems.
The Solid Waste Division employees are extremely proud of their accomplishments and continue to seek improvements and efficiencies to the system for the benefit of the residents of the County.