2004 Kansas Solid Waste Management
Hall of
Fame
Kent Seyfried has served
as Solid Waste Manager for the City of Olathe since 1994. Under his
leadership, the City of Olathe Solid Waste Division service area increased
by more than 50%, from 20,500 households to over 31,000. He currently
manages Olathe's integrated solid waste management operations which include
residential waste collection, Household Hazardous Waste program, 530
Commercial and Industrial customers, 9,000 curbside recycling customers and
three drop-off recycling sites, operations of a permitted C&D Landfill and
post closure care of a closed municipal landfill, and the administration of
the Olathe Solid Waste Transfer Station receiving over 80,000 tons of solid
waste each year.
Kent managed the City of
Olathe operations in the development, planning and construction of the
Olathe Solid Waste Transfer Station which opened 1995 with N.R. HAMM Quarry,
Inc. In 1996 the Olathe Solid Waste Transfer Station received the "American
City & County" 1996 Award of Merit for Public/Private Cooperation in Solid
Waste Collection/Disposal.
Kent planned and
implemented the "Bin & Win" recycling program in 1997, which was the first
municipally owned and operated curbside recycling program in the State of
Kansas. The Drop-off Recycling Program alone diverts almost 225 tons of
recyclables. Olathe's Household Hazardous Waste Program diverts over
100,000 pounds of potentially harmful waste from the residential waste
stream. Olathe's Yard Waste Collection & Composting program is diverting
10,000 tons of yard waste debris each year. Overall, Olathe's waste
diversion programs combine to achieve over 25% waste reduction from the
residential waste stream.
Kent has been an active
member of SWANA, the Solid Waste Association of North America since 1987.
He became a SWANA Certified Municipal Solid Waste Manager in 1997. Seyfried
has served as the Kansas Chapter International Director from 1998 to 2002
and implemented the first Kansas Chapter Truck Roadeo in 1999.
Kent has made
presentations at various KDHE conferences and workshops on Olathe's yard
waste collection & composting program, curbside recycling, and transfer
station operations.
Kent received a Bachelor of Science in Health, Physical Science, and Recreation from Southwestern College in Winfield Kansas, and went on to obtain a Masters of Science in Public Administration from Kansas State University in Manhattan Kansas.
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Kent Seyfried
Solid Waste Manager
City of Olathe