Hamm Sanitary Landfill

About the Program
The Summit Materials Hamm Sanitary Landfill is a disposal facility located just outside Lawrence, Kansas. The landfill has operated for over 30 years to protect and preserve public health and the environment. The team manages 54 acres of forest habitat and 11 acres of wetland habitat with the goals of improving and increasing the integrity and performance of the landfill system and returning the area to a diverse, forested ecosystem that supports native wildlife. The riparian habitat is actively monitored to provide high-value ecosystem services and to improve ecosystem biodiversity in alignment with a large-scale conservation plan. In addition, team members lead educational landfill tours to demonstrate the importance of landfill restoration and waste disposal.

Program Impacts

• Employees actively monitor 15 acres of wetland habitat using water quality observations, plant diversity surveys and wildlife surveys to ensure a robust wetland and waterbodies ecosystem. The property manages six stormwater ponds to benefit wildlife. To date, 43 wildlife species and 47 plant species have been observed on-site.
• The Hamm Landfill Habitat Awareness Project was initiated in 2015 as an education project that occurred five times per year. Additionally, employees host a pollinator education project twice a year that reaches 175 learners annually to increase pollinator knowledge and awareness. Local students, community members and employees interested in community science attend tours that teach them about the landfill system, restoration work and habitat enhancement.
• The team replaced 128 square feet of turf grass with a pollinator garden. Comprised primarily of native plant species, this garden caters to a variety of insects, including monarch butterflies. Additional milkweed was added to the habitat in 2022 to accommodate an increase in monarch populations. The site has observed an increase in pollinator populations, and since the inception of the project, the survival rate has increased to 76%. The pollinator garden also serves as an educational opportunity for local Boy Scouts and students.