Michigan is USA’s landfill state

A new study has revealed that Michigan has the most waste in its landfills per capita in the US while Connecticut has the least.

It is estimated that landfills across the whole of the country total 11 793 million tonnes, just over 36 tonnes for every American.

A league table of states has been pulled together by IT asset disposal and liquidation experts IT Asset Management Group using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data on landfill utilisation.

Michigan leads the way with nearly 62 tonnes per person, 72.1% above the national average, followed by Indiana which is 52.2% above the average. The remaining ‘top ten’ states are Illinois (42.7%), Pennsylvania (41.4%), Ohio (35.6%), California (29%), Wisconsin (26.6%), Nevada (21.5%), Colorado (20.7%) and Kentucky (20.6%).

At the other end of the table, Connecticut is 78.2% below the US national average with Massachusetts on 60% and Wyoming and Minnesota tied on 54.3%.

Not so efficient

Richy George, IT Asset Management’s chief revenue officer, points out that landfills are an integral part of modern waste management although ‘they might not be the most efficient way of managing waste’ and can pose severe environmental hazards if not properly managed.

‘Electronic waste can provide significant environmental risks if not properly disposed of,’ he says. ‘It can also mean a lot of lost value if e-waste goes to landfill due to how difficult it becomes to recover the valuable materials that make up a significant part of e-waste. Where possible, electronic waste should be disposed of properly to minimize its environmental impact by allowing it to either be reused or recycled.’