ROCK SPRINGS — The Rock Springs Landfill became the first landfill in the United States to divert electronic waste using a pyrolysis process Feb. 3.

Dan Chetterbock, general manager of the Sweetwater County Solid Waste Disposal District No. 1, said the milestone represents a significant step forward in sustainable waste management and data security.

Pyrolysis thermally breaks down electronic waste at the molecular level in a controlled environment, leaving behind rare earth metals and a small amount of carbon. Gases produced during the process are captured, reducing environmental impact, Chetterbock said. The process also ensures complete data destruction.

“The data is removed off the face of the earth,” Chetterbock said.

The landfill is using pyrolysis technology through a partnership with Xscindo, a company based in Gillette. The collaboration positions the two Wyoming organizations at the forefront of e-waste management nationwide, the landfill said in a press release.

The landfill is sending its electronic waste to Gillette at a lower cost than it previously paid for disposal, Chetterbock said.