A chartered tour bus takes visitors to Tucson's Los Reales Landfill. The city plans to set aside more than half of the 1,000-acre property as open space or protected habitat, letting the Sonoran desert take over the hilly shapes of the landfill.
Recyclables at the Tucson MRF are packed into bales separated by material for pickup.
Landfill manager Martin Bey (left) and Judith Weiser at the Los Reales Landfill in Tucson.
An area of the landfill designated for residential waste. Each landfill cell is lined with a membrane to minimize the impact of toxins on local groundwater.
Trang Dang (right) and her fiancé Kevin Weitemier snap a Valentine's Day selfie at the Tucson materials recovery facility.

Love at the Landfill

Published Feb. 16, 2018. Reporting by Stina Sieg.

Photos

A chartered tour bus takes visitors to Tucson's Los Reales Landfill. The city plans to set aside more than half of the 1,000-acre property as open space or protected habitat, letting the Sonoran desert take over the hilly shapes of the landfill.