Dr. Lori Clark, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Public Health at St. Lawrence University, along with eleven of her students, recently visited the Waste Data and Analysis Center’s (WDAC) sampling event. This visit was part of her “Taming Trash” course, which delves into the history, systems, technology, policies, and environmental impacts of solid waste management. This visit, which was held at the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) facility in Watertown, New York, on October 30, 2024, offered students a unique opportunity to observe the intricacies of the New York State Waste Characterization Study in a landfill setting.
Dr. Clark remarked, “We were interested to see how the Stony Brook researchers are separating materials into so many streams (61!) for various studies. We’ve recently been covering recycling practices and the impact of the bottle bill. It was impressive to hear some observations from the study’s separation of redeemable and non-redeemable beverage containers. Researchers mentioned that Gatorade bottles appear in higher volume than other beverage containers in the landfill stream and that Gatorade is not included in the bottle bill illustrating the impact of this recycling policy.”
This experience provided St. Lawrence students with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in waste management, effectively bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world practice.
Photos courtesy of DANC staff members.