At Boone County Landfill & Recycling, several garbage trucks lined up in front of the scale house to be weighed. The primary service area includes all of Boone County, most of Greene County and half a dozen towns in other central Iowa counties. Story County, the facility’s secondary service area, contributes over half of the daily tonnage.
Administrator John Roosa drove to the top of the landfill as a truck tipped its roll-off dumpster. A bright red snare drum spilled out with the load. “It’s probably still in good condition. It’s mind boggling the stuff people throw away sometimes,” Roosa said, adding that his crew has pulled out working generators and two-by-fours to reuse in their shops.
The drum, along with a ladder and wooden shelves, were quickly crushed by a compactor’s massive steel wheels. Air space is precious here, even though the area that can hold waste is roughly the size of five or six Jack Trice Stadiums, based on Roosa’s calculations.