SCISWA was one of several agencies to participate in the DNR’s 2017 statewide waste characterization. 57 samples were taken at the SCISWA landfill during May 15-17, 2017, including samples from the Poweshiek Transfer Station and Rathbun Area Solid Waste Commission Transfer Station. The DNR posted the final 2017 Iowa Statewide Waste Characterization Study on its website.
Table 2 is copied from the DNR study and presents the key finding—the five most prevalent materials being buried—from the 2017 report. MSW stands for municipal solid waste; ICI is industrial, commercial, and institutional waste. The statewide MSW column refers to the combination of residential and ICI waste at the nine facilities included in the study.
Statewide Top 5 Most Prevalent Material Categories
Rank |
Statewide MSW |
Residential MSW |
ICI |
1 |
Food Waste–20.0% |
Food Waste–17.9% |
Food Waste–21.9% |
2 |
Plastic Film–8.6% |
Plastic Film–7.6% |
Plastic Film–9.5% |
3 |
Compostable Paper 7.6% |
Compostable Paper–6.8% |
Compostable Paper–8.4% |
4 |
Mixed Recyclable Paper–6.1% |
Mixed Recyclable Paper–6.5% |
OCC and Kraft Paper–5.9% |
5 |
OCC and Kraft Paper–4.6 % |
Other Organics–5.6% |
Mixed Recyclable Paper–5.7% |
Total |
46.9% |
44.4% |
51.4% |
Food Waste includes both “loose” food and “packaged” food categories
Plastic Film includes “other plastic film” and plastic “retail bags” categories
Fines (Un-sortable small fragments-generally less than 1/2 inch in diameter-mainly composed of organic material and
miscellaneous fines and dirt) comprised 4.8 percent of the Overall MSW waste stream as well as 6.4 percent of the residential waste stream
SCISWA’s Top 6 Most Prevalent Material Categories
Rank |
SCISWA MSW |
Residential MSW |
ICI MSW |
1 |
Food Waste–19.1% |
Food Waste–20.7% |
Food Waste–16.6% |
2 |
Other Plastic Film –8.8% |
Mixed Recyclable Paper–10.3% |
Other Plastic Film–11.9% |
3 |
Mixed Recyclable Paper–8.6% |
Compostable Paper–7.0% |
Other Plastic Products–6.9% |
4 |
Compostable Paper–6.9% |
Other Plastic Film–6.8% |
Compostable Paper–6.7% |
5 |
Diapers–4.3% |
Diapers–5.2% |
Mixed Recyclable Paper–5.9% |
6 |
Other Plastic Products–4.1% |
Other Organics–4.9% |
Other Construction/Demolition–5.8% |
Total |
51.8% |
54.9% |
53.8% |
*Fines not included