What Salt River Landfill does

Salt River Landfill is a solid waste management facility operated as an Enterprise of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community on tribal land in Scottsdale, Arizona. The 200-acre site includes 144 acres of permitted disposal footprint plus an on-site Material Recovery Facility (MRF), scale house, administrative buildings, and a landfill gas collection and flare station. The facility serves the Cities of Mesa, Scottsdale, and the Town of Gilbert, plus the Salt River Pima-Maricopa and Fort McDowell Indian Communities, with additional volume from commercial, construction, and individual drop-off customers. Underlying technology includes an EPA-approved Phase VI Bioreactor (approved March 2009) that accelerates waste decomposition to extend site capacity through 2032, and a gas collection pipeline (completed January 2008) connecting to the Tri-Cities Generating Plant for beneficial conversion of landfill gas into electricity. The MRF, operated by ReCommunity since January 2001, sorts and bales over 85,000 tons of recyclables annually.

The business model is centered on weight-based tipping fees of $60 per ton with a $30 minimum transaction, augmented by surcharges on appliances, rejected green waste, special handling items, and untarped loads. Residential volume is captured through municipal partnership programs: Scottsdale residents dispose free once per week, Mesa residents pay $15 added to their utility bill for loads under 2,000 lbs, and the structure is embedded in city utility billing systems rather than direct-to-consumer marketing. Special waste streams (petroleum contaminated soil, industrial, agricultural) require pre-approval and command premium handling. All profits are directed to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community's General Fund, making the entity a sovereign government-owned enterprise rather than a conventional private operator. The facility is governed by a small leadership team led by CEO Patrick James, with 11-50 employees and operations anchored to EPA regulatory compliance.

Name

Salt River Landfill

Legal name

Salt River Landfill

Website

https://saltriverlandfill.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Salt River Landfill is a tribal-government-owned solid waste management facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, providing disposal, recycling, and bioreactor-enabled waste processing for Mesa, Scottsdale, Gilbert, and surrounding Indian communities, with revenue from tipping fees flowing to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solid Waste Management Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Landfill (562212), Waste Treatment and Disposal (56221)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill Disposal (BPALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landfill Operations & Disposal Services (IMAIAFAL), Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfills (Non-hazardous) (EUAIACAB)

Keywords

• Solid waste disposal
• Municipal recycling services
• Landfill tipping fees
• Green waste processing
• Special waste handling

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tipping Fees: Weight-based disposal fees charged to customers for waste acceptance. Standard rate is $60.00 per ton with $30 minimum per transaction. Higher rates apply for rejected green waste, appliances, and special handling items. Revenue is directed to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community's General Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Salt River Landfill operates a 200-acre solid waste management facility (144 acres for disposal) accepting municipal solid waste, recyclables, green waste, large appliances, clean fill, and pre-approved special/industrial waste. The site includes an on-site Material Recovery Facility operated by ReCommunity, an EPA-approved bioreactor landfill, and a landfill gas-to-power pipeline connected to the Tri-Cities Generating Plant. Services are delivered via direct on-site drop-off with weight-based tipping fees ($60/ton, $30 minimum).

Product overview

Salt River Landfill is a comprehensive solid waste management facility operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, serving the Cities of Mesa, Scottsdale, Town of Gilbert, and surrounding Indian communities. The facility spans 200 acres with approximately 144 acres for landfill disposal. The core service portfolio includes solid waste disposal, a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) for recyclables processing, green waste recycling into mulch and compost, appliance disposal with refrigerant handling, clean fill acceptance, and special waste pre-approval. Advanced operations include EPA-approved bioreactor technology to accelerate decomposition and a landfill gas collection system connected to the regional power grid. Tipping fees are charged on a weight basis at $60/ton with $30 minimums. All profits support the Community's General Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solid Waste Disposal Municipal solid waste disposal service accepting garbage and construction debris at the landfill, operated in accordance with EPA regulations. Available to residential, commercial, and industrial customers via direct drop-off.
• Material Recovery Facility (Recycling) On-site recyclables sorting and baling facility operated by ReCommunity that diverts materials from landfill disposal, handling over 85,000 tons annually.
• Green Waste Processing Acceptance and recycling of yard waste including leaves, tree branches, untreated lumber, grass, palm fronds, cactus, oleanders, bamboo, sod, and chipped wood, processed into mulch or compost. Rejected green waste accepted at $70/ton.
• Large Appliance Disposal Acceptance and disposal of large household appliances including refrigerators, freezers, and A/C units, with $30 freon extraction surcharge for refrigerated units requiring refrigerant evacuation.
• Clean Fill Disposal Acceptance of uncontaminated earthen material (soil) with minimal vegetation. Residential loads subject to standard tipping fees; commercial loads larger than a pickup truck may be accepted free of charge.
• Special Waste Handling Pre-approved acceptance of non-household waste streams including petroleum contaminated soil, industrial waste, and agricultural waste requiring additional handling and regulatory compliance.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tri-Cities Generating PlantcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Pipeline connection completed January 2008 connecting the landfill's gas collection system to the Tri-Cities Generating Plant. Enables beneficial conversion of landfill gas into power, reducing or eliminating the need to burn off gas.
• ReCommunitycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2001ReCommunity owns and operates the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) on-site since January 2001. Processes and sorts recyclables for diversion from landfill, handling over 85,000 tons annually.
• City of MesacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContract partnership allowing Mesa homeowners to use the landfill once per month for a nominal fee through city utility bill program. Residents present utility bill and ID for access.
• City of ScottsdalecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContract partnership allowing Scottsdale single-family residential customers to use the landfill once per week at no charge. Must present utility bill showing residential solid waste collection charges.
• Town of GilbertcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal partnership for residential solid waste disposal services serving Gilbert residents.
• EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)coreOthersEPA approval obtained March 19, 2009 for Research Development and Demonstration Project to operate Phase VI as a Bioreactor. Facility operates in accordance with all EPA rules and regulations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Clean Harbors: North America's leading provider of environmental and industrial services including hazardous waste treatment and disposal. Comparable to Salt River Landfill's special/industrial waste handling capability, though focused primarily on hazardous streams.
• GFL Environmental: Canadian-based solid waste and environmental services company with significant U.S. operations including landfills, transfer stations, and recycling. Comparable landfill and recycling service portfolio, though operating at larger, multi-region scale.
• Waste Management Inc. The largest North American provider of waste collection, transfer, recycling, and landfill disposal services. Directly overlaps Salt River Landfill's MSW landfill and recycling operations, but as a national incumbent with a much broader portfolio.
• Waste Connections: Operates a network of solid waste landfills, transfer stations, and recycling facilities, primarily in secondary markets across the U.S. and Canada. Comparable core offering of MSW landfill disposal and recycling with similar secondary-market orientation.
• Republic Services: One of the largest U.S. solid waste management companies operating MSW landfills, transfer stations, and recycling facilities across multiple states. Comparable to Salt River Landfill in core landfill and recycling service mix, though at vastly greater national scale.

Regional players

• Waste Pro USA: Privately held solid waste and recycling hauler operating across the Southeastern U.S. Comparable regional MSW and recycling service mix and municipal contract orientation, though geographically distinct from Arizona.

Emerging players

• Stericycle: Provider of regulated waste management services including specialized disposal streams. Comparable overlap with Salt River Landfill's special waste acceptance function, particularly for non-household and regulated industrial wastes.

Direct peers

• Rumpke Consolidated Companies: Family-owned regional solid waste company operating landfills, transfer stations, and recycling facilities in the Midwest. Comparable regional MSW landfill plus recycling operating model.
• Recology: Employee-owned solid waste and recycling company operating primarily in the Western U.S. with landfills, MRFs, and organics processing. Comparable regional landfill-plus-recycling operations and municipal-customer orientation.
• Casella Waste Systems: Regional solid waste, recycling, and resource management operator focused on the Northeastern U.S. Closely comparable to Salt River Landfill's regional MSW landfill plus recycling model, including municipal partnership-style customer relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Salt River Landfill