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Interstate waste disposal has grown dramatically. In 1989, only 14 states and the District of Columbia exported or imported waste, or did both. At present every state but one—Hawaii—exports, imports, or does both. A congressional report estimates that nearly a quarter of all municipal solid waste in the U.S. crosses state lines for disposal.
The cost of waste disposal is the cost of transportation plus the cost of disposal at a facility. Customers—you, me, our neighbors, our businesses—don’t want to pay any more than necessary, so waste goes the shortest distance for the best price, basically. Where state lines happen to fall is irrelevant in terms of the economic equation.
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About 24.55 million tons of solid waste were disposed of in Pennsylvania in 2005, of which 9.65 million tons originated out of state or about 39%. Both the overall tonnage disposed of and the volume from out of state declined for the fourth year in a row.
However, Pennsylvania continues to receive a large volume of out-of-state waste due to its crossroads location in the populous Northeast and the fact that the neighboring states of New York and New Jersey are leading exporters of waste.
Where waste is taken for disposal is an economic decision made by customers. The waste industry simply strives to provide safe and efficient disposal facilities for all who may wish to use them.
Read in More Detail: Waste As Protected Commerce
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