Case Study #1: Southern Oklahoma Regional Disposal Inc.
Quickly remove windblown litter from slopes and perimeter areas
This case study shows how a landfill used the Litter Picker to dramatically reduce the time and labor required for daily litter cleanup. By collecting windblown debris along slopes, haul roads, and perimeter areas, the team was able to keep litter contained on-site and improve overall site appearance. What began as a rental quickly became part of their daily operations.
The Challenge
The Southern Oklahoma Regional Disposal Inc. (SORD) was struggling to keep litter contained to the active site of its landfill, because the strong Oklahoma winds were carrying litter, like paper, plastic, and foam, to the vast, uneven surrounding slopes and beyond the perimeter of the landfill into the adjacent farm and residential areas.
Until this point, the landfill manager, Terry Lewis, had tried hiring manual laborers to pick the litter, but they weren’t able to cover the large area and uneven terrain quickly (or consistently) enough to catch up as more litter continued to spread.
With the impending quarterly inspection from the Oklahoma Environmental Quality regulators, SORD needed to get a handle on their litter problem quickly. As Terry told us, they needed to figure out a way to “stay ahead of the litter, so the litter doesn’t stay ahead of us.”
The solution
Given the daily volume of the site, large area that required cleaning, and the consistency of the winds, Terry started looking for a more reliable, mechanical way to get their litter problem under control prior to the next inspection, despite having limited access to labor.
After viewing finding some videos of the Litter Picker on YouTube, Terry reached out to us to see if SORD could trial the Litter Picker and see if it could help. We shipped them a unit for a two month rental and provided training.
Upon receiving the unit, they had it connected to their tractor and operating within an hour. They began a daily cleanup routine where the operator would drive the tractor along the landfill slopes and perimeter areas, lowered the machine onto the grass, and collected windblown litter—including plastic bags, Styrofoam, cardboard, and other light debris—that had escaped the active face or fallen from trucks along the haul road. Terry said it only took about 2 hrs to clean the entire side slope of the landfill.
The Litter Picker was also used along perimeter fencing, haul roads, and at the top of the landfill to recover litter before it could migrate further off-site. Once collected, operators quickly transported the material back to the active area for proper disposal, keeping litter contained within the facility.
With a 4-cubic-yard hopper, the team typically only needed to dump once or twice during their morning cleanup. This minimized travel time and allowed crews to focus on cleaning rather than shuttling material back and forth.
the results
The Litter Picker had an immediate impact on the landfill’s litter control operations.
In many instances, cleaning time was reduced by up to 20x. SORD got their windblown litter problem under control, and they avoided write-ups and penalties at the next quarterly inspection.
After completing the rental, SORD chose to purchase the Litter Picker. It is now integrated into their daily litter control operations.
Here’s what Terry shared with us when we checked in mid-rental:
Southern oklahoma Regional Disposal INc.
see if the litter picker is a good fit for your landfill
Frequently asked questions
Questions about whether this approach could work at your landfill? Here are answers to the most common operational questions we receive.
Yes. The Litter Picker is designed to operate on typical landfill slopes, grassed areas, haul roads, pavement, and compacted fill. It’s the ultimate all-rounder for the many varied terrains that require cleaning at landfills. Landfill operations commonly use it on side slopes, perimeter areas, and flat zones near haul roads and the top of the landfill.
The Litter Picker is effective at collecting common windblown landfill debris, including plastic bags, film, Styrofoam, cardboard, paper, and other light & mid-weight materials that escape the active face or fall from trucks.
The unit is tractor-mounted and operated hydraulically from the cab of the tractor. Operators simply turn on the PTO shaft, lower the machine onto the ground, and drive forward while the picker collects litter into the hopper. Training is minimal, and most crews are productive right away. If your operator can drive a tractor, they can easily operate the Litter Picker.
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Dumping is quick and straightforward. The 4-cubic-yard hopper allows operators to collect a large volume of litter before dumping, reducing trips back to the active area and keeping cleanup efficient. The actual dump cycle takes around 30 seconds.
Yes. Many landfills use the Litter Picker specifically along perimeter fencing, access roads, and boundary areas to intercept litter before it leaves the property.
Absolutely. Rentals are a common starting point. They allow your team to evaluate performance on your specific terrain, litter conditions, and workflow before deciding whether to continue renting or purchase. In many cases, the rental fees can be contributed towards to purchase of a machine.
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The Litter Picker is compatible with a range of tractor sizes commonly used at landfills. Typically, we recommend a 50 to 60 HP rubber-tired tractor with 540 PTO, 3-point hitch and two auxiliary hydraulic outlets.
Delivery timelines vary by location and if we have units currently in stock, but rentals are typically arranged quickly, as all our operations are in one location at our factory in Connecticut. Contacting us early allows us to confirm availability and logistics for your site.
Routine maintenance is minimal and consists mainly of standard inspections and basic upkeep. We recommend greasing several easy-to-access grease points every couple weeks. Other than that, the only other real up-keep we’ve found landfill teams need to do on occasion is to pick plastic bags off the tines, which only takes a couple minutes after a cleaning is complete, if needed at all.
Yes. Our team is available to answer questions, provide operational guidance, and help ensure you’re getting the most out of the rental during your evaluation period.