In 1990, Swift County’s only landfill was closed and replaced by the Swift County Recycle/Compost center. The costs of opening and operating a new landfill drove the county to focus more on recycling and composting. The current landfill is located in Gwinner, ND.
In 2000, the county started offering composting to single-family households, reaching eight towns and some rural areas. In 2011, Swift County required all businesses and residents to recycle and compost.
Swift County includes the towns of Benson, Appleton, Clontarf, Danvers, De Graff, Holloway, Kirkhoven and Murdock.
Swift County collects recycling, compost and trash from residents as part of weekly trash service. Recycling is collected in a separate container. Composting is collected loose in a container and trash is collected in a clear plastic bag. This makes the trash easy to pull out at the county composting facility. Yard waste is banned from landfills throughout the state of Minnesota.
Haulers can refuse to pick up trash that has not been properly sorted for recycling or composting. The county facility can inspect each load for compliance. If more than 20% of the waste contains recyclable or compostable materials, the county can issue a violation notice and can charge an additional 100% of the disposal fee as a penalty.
In 2010, about 50% of municipal waste was composted. In 2012, about 3,800 out of 4,300 households participated in the composting program.