About LCSWMA

Who We Are

LCSWMA serves the community by turning waste into opportunity. As a core utility, we manage the trash and recycling for Lancaster County and the trash for Dauphin County.

Three trucks, including a garbage truck and two red utility vehicles, are parked inside a large lcswma warehouse filled with piles of trash and debris under bright overhead lights.

The Waste Ecosystem

Trash impacts all of us. LCSWMA is just one part of the lifecycle, and we take great pride in our role. So where do you fit in?

See the full picture

Most people forget about their trash once it’s thrown away—they believe the material is taken to a landfill, where it’s buried and forgotten. In many communities that might be true.

But we make waste work for the people we serve.

Aerial view of an lcswma facility with several buildings, parking lots, and vehicles, surrounded by grassy areas, trees, and distant hills under a blue sky.

VisionRethinking Waste for a Sustainable Future

We’re committed to discovering and implementing new ways of using waste as a resource to create a sustainable future. LCSWMA also envisions a future in which society uses waste to improve the livability of our community.

A yellow bulldozer pushes trash and debris at a landfill site, leaving tire tracks in the dirt and surrounded by scattered garbage. The image is taken from an aerial perspective.

MissionManaging Waste as a Resource to Protect and Benefit Our Community

We create value from waste to benefit our community. Of equal importance, LCSWMA manages the waste while protecting the safety, health, and welfare of the people we serve and the surrounding environment.

A lcswma worker wearing safety gear and a helmet smiles while reaching out to shake hands with another worker at an industrial worksite. Tools and machinery are visible in the background.

Core Principles

Organizational Culture
Environmental Excellence
Customer & Community Service
Financial Strength
Risk Management
Innovation

Aerial view of an industrial facility with large cooling fans on a rooftop, surrounding buildings, roads, vehicles, and areas of grass.

Environmental Stewardship

LCSWMA’s responsibility is to protect our beautiful community by managing waste in ways that minimize the impact on people and the natural environment, while also reducing our own eco footprint. To support this process, LCSWMA established an Environmental Management System (EMS) that is certified by the International Organization of Standards (ISO 14001).

LCSWMA is committed to managing waste as a resource to protect and benefit our community. For more information, read LCSWMA’s Environmental Policy

LCSWMA became a member of the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) to engage in habitat conservation, biodiversity promulgation, and public education at our facilities. Our closed Creswell Landfill and active Frey Farm Landfill are Certified Gold through the Wildlife Habitat Council’s Conservation Certification program.

LCSWMA is also an affiliate of Keep PA Beautiful through Keep Lancaster County Beautiful, an organization that “empowers Pennsylvanians to keep our communities clean and beautiful.”

Awards & Accolades

Affiliate of Keep PA Beautiful through Keep Lancaster County Beautiful

Certified Gold through the Wildlife Habitat Council’s Conservation Certification program.

ISO 14001 Certified

A lcswma worker in a neon yellow shirt and hard hat stands in front of a large Volvo excavator inside an industrial building filled with debris.

Over the last several decades, LCSWMA has grown tremendously.

From its humble beginnings of one employee and one bulldozer, LCSWMA has increased to a staff of 90+ full-time, 10+ part-time, and several seasonal employees. A multi-million-dollar operation that manages close to 1 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, LCSWMA is now a regional waste management authority serving both Lancaster and Dauphin Counties. LCSWMA has transformed into a diversified business, incorporating innovative technologies, green energy, operational practices, and long-term community sustainability to bolster the stability and resiliency of the integrated waste management system.

Our StoryA Brief History of LCSWMA

LCSWMA’s journey began in 1954, when Lancaster and neighboring municipalities united to create the Lancaster Area Refuse Authority (LARA). What started with a single bulldozer and a commitment to responsible waste disposal soon grew into a forward-thinking effort to protect the region’s land and resources. Former landfill sites became community assets—from wooded trails to parts of Lancaster County Central Park—reflecting a legacy of responsible stewardship.

As the county grew, so did the need for more innovative, sustainable waste solutions. In 1986, after years of planning and collaboration, LARA evolved into the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA). This new identity marked a shift toward a comprehensive, environmentally focused Integrated System that included a modern landfill, a waste-to-energy facility, expanded recycling programs, and safe disposal options for household hazardous waste.

LCSWMA continued to innovate, and in 2013, the organization expanded its regional impact by acquiring the Susquehanna Resource Management Complex, thereby strengthening waste—processing capacity for both Lancaster and Dauphin Counties.

Today, LCSWMA manages nearly one million tons of waste each year through diverse facilities and programs, all guided by the same mission that sparked its creation decades ago: turning challenges into opportunities, protecting the environment, and building a cleaner, more resilient future for the communities we serve.