RIVERVIEW, Mich. (WXYZ) — Time is ticking for Michigan landfills. That's according to a new report from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
EGLE says if Michigan continues to dispose of trash the way we are currently, we’re on track to meet capacity at all landfills in the state in 21 years. The state says one of the issues leading us here is a significantly lower tipping fee than neighboring states, which is the price haulers pay to dump trash in Michigan.
See the EGLE report below:
Report of Solid Waste Landfilled in Michigan FY2024 by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
On average, states here in the Midwest charge about $5.30 per ton while Michigan charges just 36 cents per ton, making it an attractive dumping ground for neighboring states and Canada.
"Michigan is No. 1 in the country in trash per capita in landfills, and a big reason for that is that we have a lot of trash from other states. We’ve become a bit of a trash magnet," said Phil Roos, who is the director of EGLE.
Hear more from Phil Roos in the video player below:
EGLE says last year, the state saw a 5.43% increase in trash over all. The state says the largest source of waste imports continues to be Canada, which accounted for 4.4 million tons in 2024, or 14.35%.
"Before my time, I've come to understand there was an active decision to make us a destination for trash. It brings in revenue. Landfills appreciate that revenue and it can have an impact, a positive impact in that way, but I don’t think it forecast the ultimate impact this is going to have on us," Roos said.
It's a part of the reason the state is once again working to raise the tipping fee. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is now proposing taking the current fee of $0.36 to $5 over the course of a few years.
The proposal has already received pushback from trash haulers and the Michigan Waste and Recycling Association, which represents them.
Statement below:
The Michigan Waste and Recycling Association (MWRA) has reviewed the budget language from the Governor that is identical to last year’s proposal to increase Michigan’s solid waste tipping fee by 1,289% to $5 on each ton of solid waste.
This continued narrative to increase the state’s solid waste tipping fee will raise the cost of essential services provided to Michigan citizens and businesses. An increase of this magnitude would add costs to virtually every resident in the state as well as local governments, hospitals, public safety organizations, and school districts.
The environmentally safe, efficient, and affordable collection and management of waste materials is essential to public health and safety, all while supporting business and economic growth. We look forward to working with the Governor and Legislature on this proposal. In the meantime, Michigan’s waste and recycling industry will continue to provide essential services in the communities we serve and call home.
MWRA spokesperson
"I look at it this way, Canada's got a whole lot of land in their country. Why aren’t they building their own landfills and keeping their own garbage? We produce enough. Americans definitely produce too much garbage," said James Grahek, who lives in Trenton near the Riverview Land Preserve.
Michigan residents like Grahek who live near landfills say they'd like to see something done to prevent out-of-state and international dumping.
"The biggest problem is the smell," Grahek said. "We get a north wind, you can really smell it, both summer and winter. Worse in the summer, of course, and then the noise."
Grahek says his neighbors have been very vocal over the years about their concerns with the landfill including protests that took place a few months ago against an expansion of the landfill.
The city of Riverview, which owns the landfill, says while they have not accepted Canadian trash via their own contracts since 2019, there are some trash hauling companies that dispose of materials from Canada at the landfill. A spokesperson was unsure if there are any existing contracts with the city from out-of-state trash haulers.
After being denied an expansion by the county, the city says they ultimately made the decision not to pursue a landfill expansion at this time.
The Riverview Land Preserve is now expected to close in the next seven years after it reaches capacity.
Roos says a higher tipping fee will not only slow imported trash into landfills around the state, it’ll also help to redevelop contaminated sites across Michigan, making waste disposal in Michigan more sustainable.
"I see the real human cost to this. I see the blight that it can provide for communities, and this is a way to address all those issues holistically. The out-of-state trash, the materials management, waste management," Roos said.
