Colorado county receives award for alternative daily cover method

Mesa County Solid Waste Management uses latex paint as alternative daily cover at its landfill.

Mesa County Solid Waste Management in Colorado was recently awarded for its alternative daily cover (ADC) method at its landfill, a report by Western Slope Now says. The department won a program innovation award from the North America Hazardous Materials Management Association for using discarded latex paint as ADC.

According to the report, the Mesa County Solid Waste Management landfill is the first in the state to use this method. The paint is designed to prevent interaction between waste and the air, reduces odors and gives incoming and outgoing vehicles a steady driving base.

Before using the paint method, the facility would use soil. Jennifer Richardson, Mesa County compliance manager, says in the report that the landfill is going through a soil deficit and needed another technique to cover the landfill.

The landfill has a household hazardous waste collection facility on-site where residents bring latex paint that officials would otherwise ship out for proper disposal, the report says. After using it as ADC, the landfill saved $11,300 by not shipping the paint out. Thousands of more dollars have been saved through litter control as well.

The paint is mixed with other chemicals before it’s used to cover the landfill. Within the last year, the facility recycled 3,800 gallons of paint.