Regional analysis finds 3 million tons discarded annually; study highlights $1 billion circular-economy opportunity

Johnson County sustainability staff joined partners from Kansas City and the Mid-America Regional Council to present a first-of-its-kind regional analysis of discarded materials and the economic opportunity of diverting resources from landfills.

Charlie Hunt and Sustainability Program Manager Brian Offerman summarized the study: the region discards roughly 3 million tons of material per year (this figure counts waste generated inside the metro area), with about 77% of it sent to landfill. The study estimates the market value of landfill-bound materials at roughly $250 million and projects that building a circular-economy infrastructure capable of capturing and processing those materials could create approximately 5,000 new jobs and more than $1 billion in annual economic output.

Top material streams targeted for diversion include plastics, construction and demolition debris, and organics (food waste, urban wood, biosolids). The study also recommended interventions including expanded recycling and composting infrastructure, stronger public-private collaboration, targeted policies (e.g., landfill-diversion incentives and mandatory recycling programs), and education to shift resident and business behavior.

County staff said the findings will inform the county's solid-waste management plan and that the county will convene chambers of commerce, economic-development partners and private investors to discuss potential investment strategies and infrastructure development to pursue the study's recommendations.

The presentation reiterated an earlier regional landfill-capacity study that estimated the metro's landfill life at between 19 and 37 years depending on scenarios, and Johnson County landfill capacity may be exhausted within a 12-to-17-year window under certain assumptions, underscoring urgency to increase diversion rates or pursue alternative disposal strategies.