BIG TIMBER — A Big Timber man is pitching a $25 million plan he believes could eliminate the need for landfills in Sweet Grass County, and possibly beyond.
Hunter Roberts, an IT professional who moved to Big Timber in 2021, has launched a company called Crazy Mountain Renewables to pursue what he calls a “zero-landfill waste management solution." His proposal centers on high-temperature plasma technology that incinerates trash and converts it into reusable, non-toxic byproducts.
Listen to one Big Timber man's proposal to help eliminate landfills:
Roberts said the idea grew out of frustration from a walk through the town's dog park.
“My dog loves chewing up cardboard, Amazon boxes," he said. "Then it kind of got to a point where I was like, there's a lot of boxes out here.”
Those boxes aren't toys, but trash. He said loose garbage often blows in from Big Timber’s solid waste and recycling transfer site on windy days and collects along the fences.
“And I just looked at it ,and I said, just to myself, there's got to be a better way," said Roberts.
Big Timber does not have its own landfill. Instead, trash collected at the local transfer station is hauled to Billings, a system that could become increasingly expensive as fuel prices rise and waste volumes grow.
“Our trash tonnage is only increasing," said Roberts. "Between gas prices and the rates, the price is only going up for the residents, whether they like it or not."
Landfills, along with mining and manufacturing facilities, are among the most common sources of contamination addressed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program. Roberts said that reality, combined with what he views as a waste industry driven by profit, pushed him to research alternatives.
Roberts found a Canada-based company called PyroGenesis, which specializes in plasma gasification technology. The system utilizes extremely high temperatures to break down trash into its inorganic components.
According to Roberts, trash would be processed and separated entirely inside a closed facility. The remaining material would be transformed into an inert, glass-like byproduct known as slag.
“It's closed loop. There's no smokestack. There's no toxic things going into the air," he said. "It turns into a component that can be used that is not broken down is actually turned into a inert, non-toxic byproduct, which can be used for construction filler."
The technology is not new. Similar systems have been used for decades in military applications and at some European facilities. A smaller-scale version is currently in operation aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, where it is used to manage onboard waste.
"With my solution, this would never ever be out of a building. It comes in, and it never comes out ever again," said Roberts. "You would never see it exit.”
The estimated cost of installing the system is $25 million, which Roberts said would cover the equipment, construction, grid connection, training, and startup costs. He is seeking private investment and has also launched a GoFundMe campaign.
If built, Roberts estimates the facility could eliminate roughly 2,400 tons of trash per year and save Big Timber approximately $300,000 instantly in transportation costs. He said it would also remove the need for the city to develop its own landfill in the future.
"That's the excitement of it. We're trying to bring something that's been used and proven to an urban environment, where we can actually eliminate landfills in Montana completely going forward," said Roberts.
Roberts officially launched Crazy Mountain Renewables on Jan. 1. He said the project has already received support from several local leaders, including Big Timber’s mayor, and he plans to present the proposal to the City Council next month. He is also meeting with state and federal officials, including representatives focused on environmental and energy policy.
If approved and funded, Roberts said construction would take about three years.
"At least we'll set the foundation for never having to use a landfill again," he said. "We need people to understand that zero landfills are a possibility, and you just got to break the construct of how we've been taught to think about managing our waste."
For Roberts, the proposal is about more than waste management, but protecting Montana's vast outdoors.
"Walk right out the back door and look at the mountains. Look at the fields," said Roberts. "Everything that has to do with Montana and why we live here is exactly the reason we do not want to add another landfill.”
He acknowledges trash production is unlikely to slow down as consumerism increases, but believes his company could be the solution to leaving a better carbon footprint behind.
"I want our soil to remain clean. I want our water to remain clean, and those are the fabrics of life," said Roberts. "I just think that it's a win-win. I just don't know how we could lose by putting this solution in play.”
For more information about Crazy Mountain Renewables, click here.
