Do you know where your trash goes once it leaves your Lansdowne home?

You put it in the can. You wheel your can to the curb. That’s that. Right?

Of course that isn’t the end to the trash and recycling at all, but more so its beginning. Do you know where that trash heads after it is picked up in Lansdowne Borough?

“All of [Delaware County’s] trash is burned in the Covanta incinerator in Chester,” said a recent post from the borough on social media. “County Council is working on increasing its landfill capacity as an alternative.” 

The incinerator is operated by an organization called “Reworld.” It is the nation’s largest incinerator, handling around 1.2 million tons of garbage per year. For Lansdowne residents, the trip to the trash’s final destination (at least in its disposed of form) is only nine miles from the borough.

According to the borough, the incinerator is a source of air pollution that contributes to “high rates of disease in Chester neighborhoods and unhealthy air quality in Eastern Delaware County.” But, that doesn’t mean you can’t do your part to reduce the impact.

“Want to reduce ‘the burn?’” asked the borough’s post. “Recycle your paper and plastics labeled 2, 1, or 5, and compost your kitchen waste.”

The borough offers zero-sort recycling, meaning residents do not need to separate the different recycleables. For more information on the borough’s trash schedule, visit the informative site here.