June 2025

Talking Trash: The Real Cost of Waste in Teton County
By Teton Valley Community Recycling

June 20th, 2025

Last week, Teton County residents, visitors, and businesses generated 270 tons of landfill-bound trash. That’s 14 truckloads hauled from the Transfer Station to the landfill, with each load costing around $1,000 to haul. Additionally, the landfill charges $40 per ton as a tipping fee. Between fuel, staffing, and tipping fees, the County spent about $24,800 in a single week just to get our garbage out of town.

But here’s the good news: during the same week, a total of 530 tons of material arrived at the Transfer Station, which means 260 tons didn't get trucked to Circular Butte Landfill.

That material was sorted and diverted by both residents and staff. It included traditional recyclables like cardboard, paper, and metals. It also included brush and animal carcasses sent for composting, scrap wood dropped off for chipping or salvage, scrap metal that will be sold or salvaged, and construction and demolition (C&D) debris sent to the on-site C&D landfill. 

In other words, nearly half of what came in didn’t go to Circular Butte Landfill. That’s a win not only for the environment but also for the County budget. We should mention that on average, Teton County has a 37% diversion rate (the amount of materials that arrive at the Transfer Station, but don’t go to the traditional landfill). 

Landfilling trash is expensive, while recycling and salvaging can actually generate revenue. If you want to help save money and waste less, start by sorting your waste. Reduce the quantity of trash your household or workplace creates. And visit Salvage Day at the Transfer Station every Friday to pick up low-cost wood and metal for your next project.

Teton Valley Community Recycling (TVCR) is a local nonprofit working to reduce waste and promote reuse in our community. In this monthly column, we’ll share practical tips to help you cut down on trash, save a few bucks, understand our local waste management system, and rethink what we call “trash.” Have a topic you want to learn more about? Email us at info@tetonrecycling.org.

Stay tuned for more trash talk!