How Many Landfills Are Now in Minnesota? Fewer Than You Think

Minnesota may have 10,000 Lakes, but we have far fewer landfills, and the number of them in operation today is likely fewer than you'd think.

Here in Minnesota and across the country, we generate a LOT of trash. Just how much? According to the EPA, the average American will produce about 5.91 pounds of trash a day. About 1.51 pounds of that will be recycled, while 4.40 pounds per person per day ends up in landfills.

That's a lot of trash! The good news is that we're producing far less garbage than before, with this BigRentz story on landfills noting the amount of trash going into the country’s landfills is at its lowest level since 1960.

Get our free mobile app

And when it comes to landfills, not all states are created equally. The state with the most landfills currently is the Golden State of California, where BigRentz noted there are more landfills than any other state in the nation — more than twice as many, in fact, as every other state except Texas.

So how many landfills are here in Minnesota? Actually, not that many-- fewer than I thought. It might be because the North Star State doesn't produce nearly as much trash as other states. We're ranked 48th out of 50 states when it comes to the tonnage of garbage accepted at landfills, BigRentz said.

ALSO INTERESTING: Kwik Trip to Stop Selling This Drink in MN This Spring

It might also be because we're not too fond of landfills here in the Bold North. The Minnesota Pollution and Control Agency (MPCA) pretty much said as much, noting:

In Minnesota, landfills are the least-preferred waste-disposal option, in part because they must be monitored and managed in perpetuity to protect the environment and human health.

Overall, there are currently 2,622 landfills in existence in the U.S. Of those, 1,304 are open and operating. And right now, Minnesota only has 20 landfills in operation, according to BigRentz, coming in at #28. Wisconsin ranked 19th with 27 landfills, while Iowa is at #9, with 40 landfills in operation.

The MPCA does note that Minnesota also has about 1,800 old unpermitted mixed municipal solid waste sites across the state-- sites they currently refer to as 'dumps,' many of which were opened well before current landfill standards were in place. And while they're no longer accepting waste, the MPCA is busy monitoring if those sites are actively contaminating surrounding areas.

While 1,800 is a pretty high number of old 'dumps,' here in the Gopher State, the 20 current landfills seems rather low to me. Now in a totally different category, where does Minnesota rank on the list of states with the most hunters? Keep scrolling to find out!

Listen to Curt St. John & Samm Adams
weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5