Waste Commission Of Scott County

More than 30 years ago, Waste Commission of Scott County was formed to make sound solid waste management decisions regarding landfilling, source reduction, material reuse, recycling, composting and energy recovery. As an inter-governmental agency, our members include 17 communities and Scott County that share our mission to provide environmentally sound and economically feasible solid waste management. Beginning in the late '80s with the Iowa Waste Reduction Act and the Ground Water Protection Act, Scott County changed the way it managed solid waste, recognizing the need to increase existing recycling efforts.

Asbestos is a mineral that provides resistance to heat and corrosion. Because of these properties, it has been used in building materials (roofing and floor tiles) and vehicle brake components. Asbestos can break apart into fibers that cause life-threatening health hazards, including cancer, to exposed people. Waste materials containing asbestos are likely to be present in the debris from demolitions, renovation or remediation sites. Asbestos also results from some industrial processes. Before the Commission may dispose of asbestos-containing material, an Asbestos Disposal Form* must be completed by the customer and approved by the Commission's special waste staff.

Waste Commission of Scott County offers a variety of services, programs and resources to residents of Scott County, Iowa and Rock Island County, Illinois. Rock Island County Waste Management Agency contracts with the Commission to provide free disposal services for household hazardous material and electronic waste (e-waste) for residents of Rock Island County. For more information about other waste-related services in Rock Island County, Illinois, visit www.ricwma.org. The Commission provides programs for proper disposal and/or recycling of: municipal solid waste, construction and demolition material, asphalt shingles, electronic-waste, appliances, scrap metal, tires, pesticide containers, medical sharps, household hazardous materials, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and more.

The mission of Waste Commission of Scott County is to provide environmentally sound and economically feasible solid waste management for Scott County. The Commission works regionally to submit a Comprehensive Plan to Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) every three years. This regional planning area includes: Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine and Scott counties in Iowa. The comprehensive plan is a course of action developed and established cooperatively between cities, counties, and sanitary disposal projects regarding their chosen integrated solid waste management system, its participation, waste reduction strategies, and disposal methods.

Waste Commission of Scott County (Commission) established its Environmental Management System (EMS) in 2008 as part of a statewide program that empowers solid waste agencies to demonstrate compliance and continuous improvement in several areas: yard waste and household hazardous materials management, water quality improvement, greenhouse gas reduction, recycling services and environmental education. Since 2008, the Commission has built upon this foundation set forth by the state. At our Electronics Recovery Center, we also follow several standards that are widely recognized and utilized by industry: ISO 14000, OHSAS 18001 and R2 (Responsible Recycling).