Nantucket Island Case Study

Founded in 1659, Nantucket island lies 30 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, south of Cape Cod. Once a large maritime and fishing center with a year-round population of 10,000, Nantucket now enjoys a lively summer tourist trade attracted by the fair weather, historic cobblestone streets, and old brick downtown buildings.

Operational: 1999
Amount MSW, tpd: 50
Amount Biosolids, tpd: 25
Number of Composting Drums: 1

Behind the scenes, the ever growing popularity and population of the island placed increasing strain on the infrastructure, particularly as it related to the treatment of solid waste. As the old Town landfill grew increasingly larger, it became thronged by seagulls, feeding from the hill of trash.

By 1995, the Town of Nantucket was facing a serious crisis over its solid waste handling and the costs associated with it. In 1994, the State of Massachusetts, mandated that Nantucket close its landfill, and its waste be shipped off island for disposal on the mainland. If this were to occur, the trash bills for all islanders would quadruple.