News from CVSWMD

Published Monthly February 2011

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2011 Hazardous Waste Collections

Meds Take-Back

On the Road with Ted

School Program Updates

Business Program Updates

UVM Eco-ware Program

Legislative Updates

National Solid Waste News

CVSWMD Notes

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A Note from Leesa

Zero Waste - The time has come!

In 2003, CVSWMD exhibited leadership and vision by becoming the first solid waste management entity east of the Mississippi to adopt a Zero Waste Solid Waste Implementation Plan. At the time, Zero Waste may have been viewed as a "far out" concept that appealed to "Birkenstockers"; however, in the aftermath of challenges around and failure to site a landfill in the CVSWMD it seemed prudent to consider what would become of items and materials individuals no longer desired if land-filling were not an available or a desired option. In adopting a Zero Waste plan, the CVSWMD staff and board planned for the inevitability that the capacity to site and build landfills was finite and that wasting resources was not environmentally appropriate, prudent, or in keeping with Vermont's time honored tradition of thrift.

Zero Waste has since moved beyond a long-range objective and is becoming an accepted industry standard. Over the past year, several waste management industry leaders have spoken in support of Zero Waste practices and goals. This support has now come home to New England and Vermont. In a recent article published in Waste & Recycling news, CEO of Casella Waste Systems, Inc., John Casella, was quoted as stating that Casella's vision for a solid waste business is "truly a pathway to Zero Waste".

The increasingly global acceptance of Zero Waste is gratifying, given the CVSWMD has invested eight years of staff time and organizational resources in providing educational opportunities and programs to realize our Zero Waste goals. Visionaries are farsighted by nature. Visionaries recognize not only the success of their convictions but also the realization of their ideas when industry and others begin to embrace and work toward the goals and practices recommended to implement the vision. As additional industry leaders, states, and even countries begin to adopt and implement Zero Waste methods and plans, it becomes increasingly apparent that Zero Waste has moved beyond an ideology into an industry practice.

Be well,

Leesa

The article from which John Casella was quoted can be read here: http://www.wasterecyclingnews.com/arcshow.html?id=11020700403

Quick Fact:

Vegetable and other food wastes contribute over 34 million tons to our country's landfills each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They also create methane, a gas that is contributing greatly to rapid climate change, when placed in landfills.

Compost Company

Vermont Compost Company, Montpelier, VT

CVSWMD's School and Business Composting Programs divert food scraps away from the landfill to local composting businesses, where they become a valuable soil amendment that nourishes the soils of Central Vermont and beyond.

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Our February Zero Hero

NECI's Will Colgan

Will Colgan, Director of Facilities Operations at NECI

The New England Culinary Institute (NECI) has been a long-time participant in CVSWMD's Business Composting Program, one of our longest standing Zero Waste initiatives. One of the program's greatest champions at NECI is Will Colgan, Director of Facilities Operations. We caught up with Will at NECI's downtown Montpelier restaurant, NECI on Main (formerly Chef's Table).

According to Will, he kick-started the program about fourteen years ago for a very practical reason: the restaurant simply did not have space for a dumpster! He also knew that the majority of a restaurant's "trash" consists of food waste and recyclables; so he believed that if he could find a way to send food scraps for composting, they would have little need for a dumpster.Today he says, "A lot of folks said it couldn't be done! But we just said we were going to do it and began hauling food scraps to Vermont Compost Company ourselves. When CVSWMD approached us to join their program, we jumped on board. Eventually, staff and students saw that the program was working and now it's a part of how we do business and how we train our students."

Will took us to the loading area, where empty totes are kept alongside areas for used cooking oil and other recyclables. There was an extra walk-in cooler, so full totes are kept inside to keep down odors until pickup day. In the kitchen, where several classes were ongoing alongside the preparation for service at NECI on Main, each work station has its own small compost bin. When full, the chef checks them to be sure there are no contaminants and that there is nothing being wasted unnecessarily. If it looks good, it gets dumped into the large totes which are placed out of the main work area.

NECI Tote NECI kitchen

Will told us that they now compost in all four of their large kitchens and that every student is taught about their Farm to Table philosophy; students learn about closing the loop on the food system in which they are working as part of NECI's efforts to boost sustainability. Many graduates, some of whom were initially resistant to composting, have gone on to implement composting programs in kitchens across the country. According to Will, "Once they saw how simple and easy it was to compost, they loved it." Will also said that the program pays for itself almost immediately in the money saved by having so much less waste to dispose of! He agreed there are many other unseen benefits, such as easing the physical labor, mess and potential injuries associated with lifting heavy bags of trash containing food scraps.

We're proud to have NECI on board!

Thanks, Will!

You're a true Zero Hero!

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2011 Household Hazardous and Special Collections Events Schedule

paint cans

We are pleased to share the 2011 Household Hazardous Waste & Special Collections Events! Please stay tuned for more on each event plus more detailed announcements in newspapers and other places.

Fees apply! Please call the office for more information.

April 30, 8am-noon/Used Tires

Bradford Recycling Depot

May 14, 9am-1pm/Electronics, Textiles & Books

Montpelier

May 21, 9am-1pm/Hazardous Waste

Barre Town Garage

June 11, 9am-1pm/Hazardous Waste & Electronics

Goddard College, Plainfield

July 9, 9am-1pm/Hazardous Waste & Electronics

Tunbridge Recycling Depot

July 23, Time TBD/Electronics, Textiles & Books

Williamstown area (location to determined)

August 13, 9am-1pm/Electronics, Textiles & Books Montpelier

August 27, 9am-1pm/Hazardous Waste & Electronics Hardwick Town Garage

September 10, 9am-1pm/Hazardous Waste & Electronics Bradford Town Garage

September 24, 9am-1pm/Hazardous Waste

Department of Labor Lot, Montpelier

October 8, 9am-3pm/Electronics,Textiles & Books Chelsea Recycling Depot

Questions?

Call 229-9383 ext. 106 (Mia Rothlein)

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Kinney Drugstore Med Take-back Days

Local Kinney Drug Stores will be holding two upcoming medicine take-back days on February 26th and March 26th. Only non-controlled medicines are accepted at these events.

Please check with the following locations about unwanted medicine and pharmaceutical collection:

Your local sheriff's or police department or your health care provider.
Barre City Police Department offers free collection of controlled substances.
Additional collections are expected sometime this spring through the Drug Enforcement Administration. We will keep you posted!

If you absolutely must throw away a medication, throw it away mixed with something that would prevent a human from wanting to consume it later, such as litter from a cat box! And remember: never flush meds!

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On the Road with Ted

"One Tote, One Day"

Ted 2011

One of CVSWMD's most successful endeavors has been our Business and School Composting Programs. These programs rely on our hardworking, multi-talented truck drivers Bob Freeman and Ted Coles. Recently, I spent a cold, sunny Monday on the Barre/Berlin/Montpelier route with Ted.

As we began the day, I asked Ted how he came to this job. Though not a native Vermonter, Ted has lived here for nearly thirty years and appreciates the conservation ethic of most Vermonters. It was the mission and work of CVSWMD that prompted him to apply for the job. When asked what he likes most about his job, Ted replied, "The idea of what we try to do and the day to day flexibility. We can change our routes around so it doesn't get boring. And working with my coworkers in the office. They really listen to and respect our input."

We stopped at several Berlin and Barre area schools and many downtown business and restaurant customers. After making the rounds in the Barre/Berlin area, we traveled to Montpelier, where stops included more schools, a nursing home and senior center, apartment buildings, restaurants and coffee shops. The CVSWMD compost truck has a 200 gallon water tank, a kerosene steam jenny which is attached to a pressure hose that is used for hosing out totes after they're dumped. All in all, we picked up thirty totes at nearly twenty stops! Totes are tipped at one of three local composting facilities at the end of each day.

Each tote contained frozen food scraps and coffee grounds. Most were heavy and difficult to maneuver. If the contents did not empty when dumped by the mechanical tipper, Ted used a shovel to break the contents loose. As we worked, we checked for contaminants, such as plastics and other non-biodegradable items. I noted that there were many nearly untouched food items, especially at the schools. Completely intact fruit, sandwiches, and other foods were visible. Ted stated, "This is the hardest part about the job. I grew up being taught to 'Waste not, want not'. We're so glad they are composting, but it's also hard to see all the untouched food when others are going hungry and money is so tight." He went on to say, "And this is just one tote on one day in a small state. Just imagine this happening all across the country!"

Food Waste

Ted also believes that composting and conservation are "just the right thing to do" and that they make economic sense as well.

One tote, one day....

*Written by Marian Miller, CVSWMD's Public Relations and Outreach Coordinator.

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School Updates

Bottle Cap Program

After being linked by School Zero Waste Coordinator Gwen Lyons-Baker, Montpelier High School and Twinfield Union School have continued their partnership efforts in Aveda's Bottle Cap Recycling Program. Montpelier High School's Earth Group has been the driving force behind the MHS implementation of the programming. According to the school website, the Earth Group's mission is "Reducing the impact of human populations on natural resources through education and action." A recent visit to the club meeting revealed the group's creativity and dedication to recycling and a healthy Central Vermont.

Earth Group students held a contest in which participating students wrote their names on plastic caps and placed them in collection containers throughout the school.. Doing this automatically entered them for a prize drawing of $10 Capitol Cash. While the collection was overwhelmingly successful, Earth Group Advisor Tom Sabo noted a particular resistance to recycling among some freshman. Students in the Earth Group were asked to consider reasons why some students might choose not to participate, such as social pressure and identity.

Aveda's cap recycling program was so hugely successful that Aveda has since closed the program to new entrants. It currently has 1600 schools participating.

Williamstown Elementary School Compost Training Complete!

The week of January 24th was a busy one for the CVSWMD School Zero Waste Program. Gwen Lyons-Baker and Theresa Murray-Clasen ventured out to Williamstown Elementary School (WES) to train the students, faculty, and staff in Phase I of the School Zero Waste Program - Food Scrap Diversion. Williamstown Elementary is the 29th (of 30) schools trained to compost food scraps through this program.

With help from their School Compost Monitor, Mev, WES students are learning to separate food scraps, trash, and recycling at lunch. The school also switched from plastic utensils to metal ones that can be washed and re-used, instead of thrown away.

As part of the Orange North Supervisory Union, Williamstown Elementary will join Washington Village School, Orange Center School, and Williamstown Middle High School in sending their food scraps to Dog River Farm. Farm owner George Gross, who teaches middle school science at Williamstown Middle High School, will first use the scraps to feed his chickens and then use the remains to make compost for his farm.

With the School Composting Program rounding out its seventh year, 98% of public school students who attend school in the CVSWMD are composting.

Including faculty and staff, CVSWMD estimates that over 10,000 people are composting at schools in CVSMWD member towns every school day!

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Business Composting Program Updates

New Business Composting Participants

Compost In Hands

In the past three months, three new businesses have joined CVSWMD's Business Composting Program! We welcome the Shaw's Supermarket in Stowe and Three Penny Taproom and SALT Cafe, both of Montpelier.

Since 2004, our Business and School Composting Programs have diverted nearly 8.5 million pounds (8500 tons) of food waste from Vermont's landfills and incinerators! Our programs have reduced greenhouse gases while educating children and adults about the environmental and societal value of composting. New local businesses have taken root and grown in part from our dedication to these programs in our journey toward zero waste.

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UVM's Eco-Ware Program Launched

The University of Vermont began its Spring semester with a "take-out" bang! Food service personnel rolled out a new program offering reusable containers and tableware for take-out meals. Students and staff may buy into the program for a one-time fee of $7.50, then simply exchange their used containers for a clean one at their next take-out meal.

EcoWare

The Eco-Ware program follows several pilot programs that enabled UVM staff and students to address glitches and potential problems with the system. UVM students were heavily involved in developing the program and came up with a number of creative ways to improve participation, including offering small discounts to participants and providing custom-made cow-tags to diners to identify their tableware. Very Vermont!

University Dining Services, which is managed by Sodexo Campus Services, is on board for the long haul with this project. According to Erica Spiegel, manager of Solid Waste and Recycling at UVM, "University Dining Services has stepped up to the plate with the Eco-Ware program and is leading by example with practical sustainability efforts. This program is a great mechanism to challenge students to live the 'reduce' and 'reuse' philosophy of waste management." Congratulations UVM!

Full Article

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Legislative Updates

Extended Producer Responsibility in Packaging and Printed Materials

H-218. This bill proposes to enact a solid waste program under which producers of packaging and printed materials would be required to develop, implement, and fund a program to expand the amount of such material collected and recycled. This would put the responsibility and cost of developing an infrastructure to capture more materials for recycling on the manufacturers of packaging and print materials, such as bottles, newspapers, plastic wrap, and other containers. Similar bills have encouraged producers to begin using more easily recycled materials and to minimize the level of toxins in the original product. Link to bill.

Bottle Bill Expansion

S-021. This bill would expand the existing bottle bill to include wine bottles and all carbonated and noncarbonated drinks except rice milk, soy milk, and milk. At the time Vt's bottle bill was originally drafted, such items were on the market in very limited quantities and were not included in the legislation.

Link to bill.

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National News

Reuse Businesses Pressure Government for Support

Several major American manufacturers, including General Motors, Caterpillar, and General Electric are pressuring the U.S. government to free up avenues for global trade in their refurbished products and to invest in research and development to assist them in efforts to improve industry re-manufacturing processes. According to the Wall Street Journal article, many companies are acknowledging that they can realize greater profit margins and customers can realize cost savings by marketing refurbished products, such as medical equipment, computers, and home appliances. A point of contention for the industry is that many countries restrict imports and sales of such refurbished items, especially medical equipment. And while cheap imports make the refurbishing of some products unprofitable, the rising cost of raw materials is also driving manufacturers to seek ways to reuse and re-manufacture products and materials.

Of the manufacturers efforts, Trent Simpson, a spokesman for Caterpillar stated, "Customers, business and the environment all win."

Full article.

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CVSWMD Notes

New Composters Coming Soon!
Stay tuned for more on this subject...

Town Representatives Needed!

We are looking for Board Representatives from the following member towns: Marshfield, Plainfield, Tunbridge, Washington, and Williamstown.

Please contact us at 229-9383 or at administration@cvswmd.org for more information.

Community Member Needed for Commitee

We are looking for a community member to join our Lawrence Walbridge Reuse Grants Committee. If you are interested or want to learn more, please contact Gwen Lyons-Baker at or call 229-9383 ext. 111

Green Cones for Sale at the District Office We love these things! They're a great way to keep food scraps, including bones and other items not usually composted, out of the landfill. To purchase a Green Cone, email Gwen Lyons-Baker or call the office (802-229-9383 ext.111).

cones and bin

Each cone costs $72.50 (including VT sales tax) and can be paid for with cash or a check; receipts are available.
Pickup is at the CVSWMD at 137 Barre Street, Montpelier. Please be sure you speak with Gwen prior to stopping by to pick up a cone.

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Contact Us

Central Vermont Solid Waste

Management District (CVSWMD)

137 Barre Street

Montpelier, VT 05602-3618

Staff Photo