Education & Tours
Each year thousands of visitors experience the landfill and Resource Recovery building first hand.
Tours & Programming
Each year thousands of visitors experience the landfill and Resource Recovery building first hand. Thousands more participate in classroom and group presentations and events.
Presentation or Tour
Contact us today to set up a presentation or tour!
Tour Topics
At 1954 County Home Road, Marion, Iowa visitors learn about landfilling and resource recovery. At 2250 A Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa visitors learn about composting and Mount Trashmore
Landfill gas to energy
Wetlands, bioswales and raingardens
Household hazardous materials
Vermiculture
Sustainability
Landfill & Recycling
Tours at 1954 County Home Road, Marion, Iowa
Landfill and resource recovery tours take visitors along the path of waste from production to disposal. Overlooking the landfill, visitors observe the equipment used in the landfilling process and discuss landfill lifespan, engineering, and types and amounts of material discarded in the landfill.
In the nearly 45,000 ft2 Resource Recovery building, visitors will gain an understanding of what resource recovery means. Visitors view and discuss household hazardous waste disposal, electronics recovery, household recyclables, and commodity markets. Metal, tire, and appliance recycling is also explored along with landfill gas-to-energy and its environmental benefits.
Visit the Garbage Disposal, Recycling, and Hazardous Materials pages for more information.
Compost & Yard Waste
Tours at 2250 A Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Compost tours give visitors an inside look at the process of turning yard and food waste into compost. Visitors have the chance to observe the feed stock, mixture ratios, temperature monitoring, curing and screening processes. The result is dark, rich compost available for soil amendment, gardening, and erosion control. Visitors also have the opportunity to view the landscape from the top of Mount Trashmore during their visit!
Learn more about our composting facility by visiting the Compost & Yard Waste page.
Programming & Presentations
We come to you with a custom-built presentation focused on waste management, resource recovery, and environmental education! Programs are available for small or large groups and for pre-k through college students, community groups, and club meetings.
Winter Reading Program
Our friends at the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) are putting together a new virtual reading program this winter. We'll provide a link once it is ready so all can enjoy fun books about sustainability, composting, and the environment.
Schedule a Tour
People often say, "throw it away" when they no longer need an item. In Linn County, "away" means the landfill. See where your garbage ends up and learn about all the options available through reuse, recycling, and composting that help keep materials from going "away!"