Our Local Landfill Is Filling Up and Summit County Wants to Hear from You

Summit County is updating its 2018 Solid Waste Master Plan with a clear goal: extend the lifespan of the Three Mile Landfill. As part of this process, the County is asking residents to share their thoughts, and your input can help shape what comes next. Whether you’re passionate about long-term sustainability, recycling access, or operational efficiencies, your perspective matters!

Here’s what you need to know

• The Three Mile Landfill is on track to reach capacity by 2053.
• Even with a newly constructed cell, the landfill’s remaining lifespan is approximately 17 years, according to Tim Loveday, Summit County’s Solid Waste Superintendent.
• Once the landfill reaches capacity, Summit County would likely need to haul trash to surrounding counties, potentially doubling disposal costs for the community.
• The County’s current focus is to extend the landfill’s life by an additional 10 years through practical, community-supported strategies.

Why waste diversion matters

Extending the life of the landfill comes down to waste diversion, which means keeping materials out of the landfill through recycling, composting, and reuse.

Park City Community Foundation’s Zero Food Waste initiative was created with this goal in mind. Food waste makes up nearly 50% of the airspace in the Three Mile Landfill, making it both costly and environmentally harmful. If Summit County successfully diverts all food waste from the landfill by 2030, the landfill’s lifespan could double.

Share your thoughts

Summit County has launched a public engagement process to inform the Solid Waste Master Plan update, and now is the time to weigh in. Whether you’re passionate about long-term sustainability, recycling access, or operational efficiencies, your perspective matters!

Residents are invited to attend one of the upcoming in-person engagement opportunities:

Coalville on 2/6 @ North Summit vs. South Summit basketball game

• WHEN: Friday, February 6 | 6:30–8:00 pm
• WHERE: North Summit High School, 111 East 100 South, Coalville
• Stop by the Summit County table outside the basketball game

Park City on 2/10 @ Mountain Regional Water Building

• WHEN: Tuesday, February 10 | 6:00–7:30 pm
• WHERE: Mountain Regional Water Building, Conference Room, 5739 Paintbrush Road, Park City
• Open-house style, stop by anytime

Earlier this month, Summit County also conducted a FlashVote survey with local residents to better understand current waste practices and priorities. More than 380 residents responded, and the results are now available to view HERE.

Learn more

• Park Record article by Petr Herink, Summit County hopes to increase Three Mile Landfill’s lifespan by 10 years
• KPCW interview Tim Loveday and Janna Yount, Summit County plans to extend landfill use by 10 years
• Summit County Solid Waste Services

This is a critical moment to speak up and help shape the future of waste reduction in Summit County. Thoughtful community input today can lead to smarter, more sustainable solutions tomorrow.