Gov. Jim Gibbons this month announced his intention to sponsor a major initiative to completely eliminate landfills as presently known.

“There have been huge leaps in recycling technology,” Gibbons said in a statement. “We can conserve natural resources, create clean energy and create jobs by looking at landfills not as places where we bury our trash, but as places where recycling and energy recovery begin.”

Gov. Jim Gibbons

Gibbons said at least 75 percent of the trash now sent to landfills in Nevada can be recycled or used as a renewable energy source using existing technology. Similar results have been attained by the San Jose, according to his office. Gibbons recently toured a waste recycling operation there.

“Federal law does not allow us to ban the importation of waste from California. But state law allows me to require enough recovery that a waste stream becomes an asset. The availability of economical recycled materials will encourage manufacturers to locate in Nevada,” Gibbons said. “Mandated waste recovery can be a significant part of diversifying our economy and provide much needed jobs.”