Refuse as Resource: Exploring a community benefiting and place-based approach to municipal solid waste management in Juneau, Alaska

Abstract

The linear economy operates in a “take-make-dispose” model, which necessitates the continuous extraction, production, and disposal of goods to maximize profits. The end of the linear economy, the disposal phase, results in excessive amounts of discarded material in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills across the country. Private corporations dominate the MSW management industry in the U.S. and are responsible for operating the country's landfills. Communities adjacent to landfills often have no control over the amount, type, and origin of materials landfilled near them. This results in the concentration of materials at harmful levels, negatively impacting residents’ environments and health. This thesis uses Juneau, Alaska, as a case study to explore this phenomenon. The Capitol Disposal Landfill in Juneau, Alaska, has been privately owned and operated since the 1960s, and is slated to close in 15-25 years. Due to its geographic isolation, the closure of the landfill will leave the City in a fiscal crisis. For decades the City of Juneau has lacked autonomy in controlling its waste and extending the landfill's life because of the conflicting priorities with private ownership. Taking inspiration from Kamikatsu, Japan, Copenhagen, Denmark, and more, this thesis asks: how can public space be leveraged by communities to shift from current linear disposal methods to circular, harm-reducing, and community-benefiting systems? This thesis builds on previous work by landscape architects and other designers that work to bring visibility to 'waste' and intervene in the waste management system before materials make their way into landfills. By applying design as a research method, this thesis demonstrates how public spaces can be reimagined as "mini material parks," place-based and community benefiting spaces that disrupt linear disposal methods by diverting materials away from landfills to recirculate back to communities.