Green Initiative Programs
Biofuel Fleet
Every piece of equipment in Land and Lakes’ fleet of more than 200 heavy equipment and vehicles – earthmoving equipment, waste collection vehicles and service-related vehicles – are powered by biodiesel or biofuels. Biofuels are biodegradable, non-toxic and renewable. These fuels release fewer emissions than petroleum when burned.
In addition, Land and Lakes’ sales force and engineers drive hybrid vehicles. Hybrids are able to operate on 100 percent electric power at speeds up to 30 mph thereby maximizing in-city fuel economy. Also, hybrid vehicles are capable of automatically switching between pure electric power, pure gasoline engine power or a combined operation of electric power and pure gasoline to maximize efficiency and performance.
Land and Lakes Company will continue the practice of specifying environment-friendly vehicles as its fleet continues to evolve and grow.
Landscape Waste Composting
Land and Lakes Company’s pioneering spirit, progressive thinking and technical abilities allowed it to become the first environmental service company in Illinois to receive a landscape waste recycling permit from the Environmental Protection Agency in 1989.
Our facilities have served more than 80 Chicago area communities with leaf, grass and brush composting capabilities. To learn more about the benefits of compost, potential application of compost or to obtain possible applications of compost products, click here >
Alternative Energy
Land and Lakes Company reclaims methane, a natural occurring gas, emitted from decomposing waste at Land and Lakes Company’s municipal solid waste landfill sites. The methane is combusted to produce electricity, which is then added to the ComEd grid. Methane recovery generates energy from a renewable source and eliminates a particularly potent greenhouse gas from entering the environment. The energy provided by Land and Lakes Company’s landfills supplies more than 52,000 households with electricity each year.
Land and Lakes Company requires an oil recovery program at its vehicle maintenance facilities. Waste oil removed from the company’s vehicles is stored on-site and used to heat shop facilities. At River Bend Prairie, the oil recovered is the ONLY source of heat needed for the entire maintenance facility.
River Bend Prairie Bioreactor Landfill
Adjacent to the 80-acre River Bend Prairie Landfill Facility, a 10-acre expansion was recently completed as a cutting-edge bioreactor landfill. As the first firm to receive a bioreactor permit in Illinois, Land and Lakes remains a leader in environmental innovation.
Recirculation of leachate in the bioreactor landfill leads to a 25% gain in the life of the landfill, thus preserving existing resources and reducing transportation costs to remote greenfield landfills. Another environmental advantage of a bioreactor landfill is increased methane recovery and therefore, alternative energy.
River Bend Prairie Recycling and Transfer
River Bend Prairie Recycling and Transfer Facility is located adjacent to the River Bend Prairie Landfill, the closest landfill to the City of Chicago. The 10-acre facility has both rail and barge access. River Bend Prairie processes and recovers thousands of tons of corrugated cardboard, paper, household plastics, wood, aluminum and steel that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. This presorting of materials prior to landfill disposal saves valuable resources for reuse. Recovered items are sent to secondary markets.
