City of Tucson- Los Reales Sustainability Campus

Resource management is a key element of sustainability and so we have taken a critical look at our “waste” stream.  Formerly the Los Reales Landfill, the Sustainability Campus moves past the traditional landfill model and into an era of regenerative waste-to-asset activities.  These are activities that will attract business, create jobs, and redefine our relationship to the resources that people dispose of.

Here’s what we’re engaging in

• Methane is a gas that all waste centers must deal with and while we’re currently neutralizing ours, so it doesn’t have a chance to contribute to climate heating, we’re moving toward capture and reuse as a fuel source.
• We will work more closely with the UArizona Compost Cats to increase their capacity to turn food waste into garden miracles (compost). To do this, a green waste processor will be leveraged to increase compostable resource capture from their current 167 tons of diversion to around 2,000 tons.
• Every year, new businesses are starting up to do innovative things with the materials we call waste. These companies will need access to those materials, space for their operations, and well-trained employees to do the work.  LRSC will be able to provide the materials and spaces via “shovel-ready” pads and diversion services for interested businesses.  By leveraging SACCAR membership, the Sustainability Campus will be able to connect these new businesses with community members trained right here in Tucson.