NO TOURS AT THIS TIME UNTIL MAJOR CONSTRUCTION ENDS.
Tours to resume at the end of 2024.
Thanks for your understanding.
Pope/Douglas offers both in-person and virtual tours of our waste and recycling facilities to learn how wastes and recyclables are managed in our area. Arrive wondering. Leave Inspired.
Tours must be arranged at least two weeks in advance. We are able to tailor tours and discussions for age groups and interest areas.
In-Person Tours
Material Recycling Facility (MRF)
Resource Recovery Facility/Waste-to-Energy (WTE)
- Combined tour for both facilities
- Tours length is approximately 1 hour
- Topics include creating energy and steam from waste, removing problem materials from the waste stream to ensure facility safety/efficiency, air/water quality, recycling, solid waste management, engineering and design.
Environmental Drop Site (Household Hazardous Waste/Recycling Drop/Organics Recycling Drop)
- Can be tagged onto the main facilities tour (MRF/WTE)
- Tours length is approximately 15 minutes or longer if focus is on the Environmental Drop Site.
- Topics include removing problem materials from the waste stream, air/water quality, recycling, solid waste management, hazards in our waste, organics recycling, event recycling, recycling/waste reduction grant opportunities, recycling, and unique recycling opportunities or programs.
Glacial Ridge Compost Facility
- Facility is not open at this time for public-facing tours.
Metal Recovery Facility
- Facility is not open at this time for public-facing tours.
Typical tours days and time slots available are Tuesdays and Fridays. (9:00-10:00, 10:00-11:00, 11:00-12:00, 1:00-2:00)
Because of the nature of the facility there are age restrictions and group size restrictions.
- Minimum tour attendee is Grade 4.
- There is a 1 adult chaperone per 10 children requirement.
- No toddler “carry-ons” allowed.
- No high heels/flip flops/open toe shoes.
- No loose clothing.
- Wear clothing and shoes that are comfortable and can be soiled.
- Large groups will be preferred to be split into 2 groups.
Virtual Tours
PDSWM operates a year-round recycling center/drop-off area. The facility is open for businesses and households of Pope County and Douglas County to drop-off various items for proper recycling. Services are made possible with solid waste service fees.
Households and Businesses are welcome to use the Recycling Center.
PDSWM operates a year-round household hazardous waste facility. The facility is open for households of Pope County and Douglas County to safely drop-off various items for proper disposal. Services are made possible with solid waste service fees.
Dumping unused hazardous wastes in the trash or down the drain can cause safety, operational and environmental problems.
Household Hazardous Waste Program
Business/Commercial/VSQG Hazardous Waste Program
PDSWM operates a Material Recycling Facility (MRF). The facility is was added in 2003 for the purpose of removing some recyclables, hazardous and problem items from the delivered trash prior to being incinerated at the Waste to Energy (WTE) Facility. The MRF runs two shifts Monday-Friday and occasional Saturday to efficiently pre-process the wastes that are delivered via waste haulers.
Services are made possible with hauler tipping and solid waste service fees.
PDSWM operates a Resource Recovery Facility/Waste to Energy Facility (WTE). The facility was constructed in 1986 and began accepting waste in April of 1987. In 2011 a third combustion unit was added to the WTE Facility to meet the solid waste management needs of Pope and Douglas Counties. The Waste to Energy facility is permitted to process 240 tons per day. It operates 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. The facility has a pit that is 20 feet deep where the industrial wastes and sorted wastes from the sorting facility are mixed together. A grapple picks up the waste and loads it into the incinerator where it is burned at 1,800F. During the incineration process 76,000 M pounds of steam, at 170 pounds of pressure, is generated.
Services are made possible with hauler tipping fees.
PDSWM operates an Ash Landfill. The landfill began receiving ash from the Waste to Energy Facility in 1994. The ash landfill was designed as a hazardous waste landfill even though the ash that is disposed of in the ash landfill is not considered a hazardous waste.
PDSWM also operates a Metal Recovery Facility on the site. Ash is delivered from the Waste to Energy Facility where it is combined with previously landfilled ash that is mined out of the ash landfill cells. Combined ash is processed through the Metal Recovery Facility to remove ferrous and non-ferrous metals. These efforts lead to recovering additional life and headspace in the landfill by removing metals for recycling.
Looking to schedule a tour?
Reach out and a member of our team will be in touch!