When most people hear the word “landfill” the image that comes to mind is likely a pit full of trash. While the Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District (WIWMD) in Layton certainly has a spot for trash like that, there is so much more that the people there are doing to not only properly dispose of waste, but also make the entire region, including Morgan, a much better place.

Nathan Rich, Executive Director of the WIWMD said that the idea for the thrift store came about simply because at the landfill, they are always “trying to be a little bit better,” and his entire team’s belief that they can and should “handle waste like a resource.” Like many other facilities around the country, the WIWMD has on-site recycling for things like metal, tires, appliances, plastics, paper and so forth, but still, Rich and his team wanted to do more. 

“It’s like a puzzle,” said Rich, “we add pieces to do better as much as we can.” One piece came about as Rich and others noticed the tremendous amount of perfectly good items coming through in increasing quantities, “It’s stunning what people throw away” said Rich, adding, “We’re generating more garbage, not less.” The solution to this waste came through attending a conference in which Rich and his team discovered that a landfill in California has a “Last Chance” thrift shop. 

Utilizing resources they already had, WIWMD repurposed an existing building, a recycling drop-off which was ill-used due to curb-side recycling bins, and 10 years ago opened their own thrift store. “We recycled that building,” Rich joked. The program has seen tremendous success since then, nearly doubling revenue over the past 10 years. But how are the items in the store sourced?

The Sustainability Specialist at WIWMD, Collette West and Rich explained that there’s about a 50-50 split in the sourcing of items for the shop. Half, they said, comes from people dropping off items at the landfill, items that are recovered by employees before they hit the pit, and the other half from donations. Although it’s a small space, there is an amazing variety of like-new items, including everything from furniture to scuba gear, and, as Rich said, they “price it to move it.” Most hot-ticket items don’t last long.

Looking around the shop itself, they weren’t kidding. “It’s a lot cheaper than even DI or Goodwill,” said Collette, and the stickers prove it. These low prices go a long way to helping lower-income populations around the region with everything from dining room sets to lawn mowers all in outstanding condition, but for the collectors, there are still things off the beaten path. West and Rich explained that there’s a little bit of everything that comes through the shop, including pristine exotic taxidermy, pianos, organs, and even a vintage, functional slot machine. 

This could explain why, while many in the county are still unaware of the shop, many are not only aware but are avid fans. “There’s usually a line,” said Rich, talking about the opening of the shop in the morning. Even though the shop doesn’t divert a significant amount of waste from the landfill, it does extend the life of perfectly usable products and falls right in line with one of the mission statements of the WIWMD as stated on their website, “Recognize waste as a resource through reuse, reduction, recycling, and the production of fuels and energy, when financially viable.”

Franklin the cat, “the star of the show” at the thrift shop. Photo by Braden Nelsen

The thrift store, is “a lot of work,” said Emily Dehermida, who works at the shop, “but it’s definitely worth it.” “It’s amazing,” echoed Khadija Bird, another store employee “Never a dull moment.” As amazing as it is, and it is amazing, the thrift store only scratches the surface of the work that Rich, West and others are doing to minimize the environmental impact of the landfill and reclaim as much of the waste as possible. 

From the thrift shop to the massive composting and mulch of the green waste operations to the Material Recovery and Transfer Facility which processes many of the recyclables from around the region, there’s much more going on at the Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District than just garbage, but those may be a story for another day.  More information on these, and other projects being undertaken by the WIWMD can be found at www.wasatchintegrated.org.