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Quarterly Newsletter
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Spring 2012
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Who We Are
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Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District is a union municipality committed to helping its 17 member communities work toward Zero Waste.
We are
Zero Waste CentralTM.
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A Note from Leesa Economics often drives discussions, a fact that is as true in waste management as in any other sector. At CVSWMD, we know that for many residents and businesses, keeping materials out of landfills can seem more time consuming and costly than throwing unwanted items in the trash. In addition, current solid waste management and hauling economics would seem to require the continual generation of trash. Fortunately, leaders in the solid waste industry have recognized for several years that the materials we waste have value that could actually increase profit margins if sold on commodity markets or harvested for a higher use. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, David Steiner, President and CEO of Waste Management, Inc., clearly recognized the value in "waste" materials when he stated: "If we could take all that garbage you're giving us - in fact, we're charging you to pick it up -and separate it and sell it into the commodity markets, it would be worth about $10 billion to $12 billion." $10-12 billion would nearly double Waste Management's annual revenue. If Mr. Steiner is correct, and his one company hauled materials worth $10-12 billion to landfills last year, the economic impact of landfilling waste becomes staggering. Governments, citizens and businesses are beginning to recognize that current waste management practices will inevitably change. Vermont is poised to take the next step in participating in the future of materials management. Bill H. 485, currently in the legislature, will call for the reduction of the types of materials going to landfills and require uniform statewide recycling, composting and other methods to recover the value of waste materials. Working to develop sustainable systems will be challenging; however, Vermonters are known for their strength and ingenuity. Through collective effort, we can develop fiscally and environmentally prudent resource management systems that preserve the future of Vermont. Be Well, Leesa WSJ's interview with David Steiner
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Quick Fact:
Americans make up about 5% of the world's population, yet we produce roughly 40% of the world's trash and consume 30% of it's raw resources.
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Spring 2012 Zero Hero
Theresa Murray-Clasen: Champion & Teacher of the 4R's
"It's always been about Zero Waste," Theresa Murray-Clasen, our Spring 2012 Zero Hero explained. "You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want, but it all comes down to the 4-R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot [composting]!"
 Theresa has spent much of the last fifteen years keeping it simple, teaching the children of Montpelier and other district towns about the zero waste and the 4R's, especially "Rot", as she helped implement CVSWMD's highly successful School Composting Program. Theresa is currently an Environmental Education Consultant and Contractor. Click here to read the full story. |
School Updates
Bradford Students Become Teachers
For the students in the Environmental Coalition (EC) at Oxbow High School (OHS), a commitment to waste reduction is not just about doing the right thing. It's actually quite personal. When asked why she's involved, senior Kelsi Furman answered "Because my friends don't care. They don't believe in global warming. I want to make a difference. I want to make others care." In partnership with Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District, the EC at Oxbow and the fifth grade class at Bradford Elementary have initiated a number of projects to reduce school waste, increase student recycling and composting, and to educate students. Click here here to learn more.
(written by Jarrod Szydlowski)
Compostable Napkin Pilot Program
These napkins can be accepted by the compost facilities because they are made with 100% fiber and manufactured without chlorine or bleach, in keeping with standards necessary to produce organic compost products. CVSWMD provided each of the three schools with their first case of napkins for free.
Last year, Hardwick Elementary School used approximately 21,000 napkins. Instead of going to the landfill, they will now be turned into compost! This project will: add carbon to the compost mixture; reduce waste material going into the landfill; in some cases, save the school money. If the program is successful, CVSWMD plans to expand it to other schools in the district.
2nd Annual Compost Poetry Contest We are very excited to announce the 2nd Annual School Compost Poetry Contest! This contest was dreamt up by our own School Zero Waste Coordinator, Gwen Lyons last year. She developed it to help inspire students to think about composting outside of the cafeteria. It was also a chance for teachers to bring the topic of composting into the classroom in a fun and creative way. The contest, held during National Poetry Month in April, is open to all students in grades K-12 who reside in CVSWMD member towns. There are four grade level categories. Four winners will receive $50, a "Compost" T-shirt, a framed certificate and their poem published on our website and in our e-newsletter. CVSWMD received 97 entries from 16 different schools in last year's contest. We are hoping for an even better turnout this year! |
Program Updates
CVSWMD Welcomes New Program Manager
The staff and Board of CVSWMD are pleased to welcome Collin O'Neil as our new Program Manager! Collin joined the staff in February and has been quickly getting up-to-speed and integrating into the work routine at the district. Collin will be managing our Business Composting Program, Household Hazardous Waste & Special Collections, and overseeing the operations and maintenance of CVSWMD's facility in Barre.
A product of central Vermont, Collin has long had a deep appreciation for its natural beauty and strong sense of communal responsibility. Collin attended UVM, where he studied Environmental Science and Sustainable Development. He then pursued a career in recreation management, emphasizing convenient access to sustainably operated recreation facilities. Locally, Collin renovated and rejuvenated the Wrightsville Recreation Area, a park just north of Montpelier that has become vibrant and multifaceted, with human powered activities for all ages.
About working at CVSWMD, Collin says, "I'm excited to refocus my professional work by helping the CVSWMD provide convenient access to forward thinking methods of handling and reducing our solid and hazardous waste streams. I look forward to helping my home community adapt."
 Household Hazardous Waste and Special Collections Season is HERE! We are pleased to announce our Special Collection Events for 2012. All residents and businesses of member towns are encouraged to attend one or more of these events to properly dispose of hazardous and difficult-to-dispose-of materials. *All events are from 9AM- 1PM. Please visit our website for more information, locations and directions! Or open and print out the flyer. April 30: Document Shred / Barre City
May 5: Hazardous Waste / Barre City
May 19: Hazardous Waste / Barre Town
June 2: E-waste, Textiles, Books, Document Shred / Hardwick
June 9: Hazardous Waste/ Plainfield
July 14: Hazardous Waste,E-waste,Textiles,Books / Tunbridge
Aug. 25: Hazardous Waste / Hardwick
Sept. 8: Hazardous Waste, E-waste, Textiles, Books/Bradford
Sept. 22: Hazardous Waste / Montpelier
Oct. 6: E-waste, Textiles, Books / Chelsea
Oct. 13: Document Shred / Montpelier
November: Tires / Bradford (Stay tuned for more details!!)
Note: CVSWMD Collections are only open to residents and businesses in our member towns and cities!
*Businesses: Call to pre-register!
Fees:
-Household Hazardous Waste: $15 per residential car load
-Other Materials: Free! (no household trash)
If you have questions about any of the collections, please call 229.9383. Still wondering what hazardous waste is? Check out our household hazardous waste page to learn what to bring.
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Local News and Stories
The Happiness Store: Linking Well-being to Reuse
 Tucked away in Maple Corner, in the quiet town of Calais, is a small store selling a big idea: happiness. Well...not exactly "selling happiness", because happiness, as the store's owner Ginny Sassaman will gladly tell you, isn't something you can buy. At its simplest, the Happiness Paradigm Store and Experience is a "space for people to come and be happy" says Sassaman. And while you're there, you will be surrounded by items made from re-purposed materials getting a second, "happier" life. Click here to read the full article. (written by Jarrod Szydlowski) Zeroing In On Zero Waste There is no quick, easy definition for "Zero Waste." It's an idea. It's an approach. Most of all, it is a way of seeing. Instead of seeing the byproducts of households, businesses and communities as "trash" or "garbage", we can recognize them as part of a much greater cyclical process.  To learn more about the difference between a Zero Waste system and the conventional waste stream, click here. (written by Jarrod Szydlowski) |
State and National Solid Waste News
Green Up Day is Coming!
 May 5th, 2012, is Green Up Day in Vermont, and we all know what that means...everyone grab a green bag and get pickin'! Picking up trash and recycling in your neighborhood, that is. Participating in Green Up Day is a great way to join other Vermonters in support of a healthy and beautiful state. It is never proper to dispose of things on our roadsides and this special day is a way to redirect waste and resources to their proper place. Our staff will be cleaning up around our office as well as up and down Barre Street. Visit the Green Up Vermont website to learn more.
Vermont Legislative Update
The Vermont Senate Natural Resources Committee has been working hard on solid waste concerns over the past two months. This work proved successful on March 2, 2012 when the Vermont House of Representatives passed H.485, An Act Relating to Universal Recycling of Solid Waste, unanimously. If the bill becomes law, the act will call for uniform statewide recycling of commonly recycled materials and organics, using a tiered approach, with all relevant materials banned from the state's landfills by July 1, 2020. The legislation is currently in review in Senate Natural Resources Committee. Read the bill.
National Drug Take-Back Day
 Another National Drug Take-Back Day is being held April 28th, 2012. Sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration's Office of Diversion Control, this has become a regular event that will allow proper disposal of prescription drugs that are out of date or not to be used. Medications should NEVER be flushed down a toilet! So how do you dispose of them properly? Check out this FDA article to learn more! Search for a collection near you.
Federal Government Bans Agencies' E-Waste from Landfills
 According to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the federal government is the largest single producer of e-waste in the country. The EPA estimates that, collectively, federal agencies dispose over 10,000 computers weekly. In response to this high waste volume, the GSA has announced a new prohibition on all federal agencies from dumping electronic waste. Here is the original article.
New Phone App to Stop Junk Mail
PaperKarma is a new app that smart phone users can download for free. After taking pictures of their junk mail, users send them into PaperKarma which contacts each mailer with a request to remove the users from their distribution lists. The application has been so successful that CEO Sean Mortazavi is considering charging for the service. "So far, it�s been a tsunami of images and scans coming in," Mortazavi said. "Apparently, people really, really dislike junk mail." Click here to read more.
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CVSWMD Notes
New Slogan! Zero Waste CentralTM
Okay folks...we know our name (and our acronym for that matter) is quite a "mouthful"! So we undertook a process to come up with something short and sweet that we can use to talk about who we are and what we do. After several well-structured and productive meetings, we finally settled on "Zero Waste CentralTM". It fits with our bold mission of achieving Zero Waste and our location serving central Vermont. We like it and we hope it appeals to you, too!
More on the Barre Facility and FREE Friday Collections
We are now fully settled into our new building at 3 Williams Lane in Barre City (beside the ReStore)! While the building will serve multiple functions for CVSWMD, the primary need is that of providing heated garage space for the district's diesel engine vehicles. The building is large enough (6000 sq. ft.) to house multiple vehicles and offers ample storage space for School Zero Waste Program supplies, Soilsaver compost bins, Green Cones, and more. We are also excited that the building will allow us to provide a central location where we can collect various items from the public on a regular basis!
Our FREE Friday residential collections at this location begin on June 15th and will be held each Friday from Noon - 6PM until August 31st. We'll be announcing what items we will be accepting on our website as well as through local media and on public flyers.
The collections at 3 Williams lane will be for residential drop-offs only (commercial generators by appointment only).
Introducing our Intern: Jarrod Szydlowski
We have been pleased to have had Jarrod working as our intern since January. He has been assisting the district with media writing, surveying, and community outreach. Hailing from Woodstock, Vermont, Jarrod grew up informed by the Green Mountains, inspiring in him an early interest in resource management and conservation.
Jarrod anticipates completing his bachelor's degree in Community and International Development at UVM this spring. With an eye on a future career in sustainable development, he says he was drawn to CVSWMD's public outreach intern position "because of the organization's holistic Zero Waste philosophy and commitment to community and environmental health."
Since coming aboard, Jarrod has been putting his previous experience in public outreach and background in environmental studies and social research to work for the district. "I want to take this opportunity to thank both CVSWMD and district residents for such a warm welcome and a truly valuable learning experience. There aren't many things that are more rewarding or enjoyable than working to improve the wellbeing of fellow Vermonters."
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| Contact Us
Physical Address:
Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District (CVSWMD)
137 Barre Street
Montpelier, VT 05602-3618
PH: 802.229.9383
FAX: 802.229.1318
General Questions or Comments?
Staff:
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CVSWMD Board Members by City/Town
Barre City - Nancy Wolfe
Barre City alternate - Steve Micheli
Barre Town � - Fred Thumm
Barre Town alternate - Jack Mitchell
Berlin - Matt Levin
Bradford - Gerhard Postpischil
Calais - Bill Powell
Calais Alternate - John Brabant
Chelsea - Mark Lembke
Chelsea Alternate - Steve Gould
East Montpelier - Ginny Callan
Hardwick - Heather Bryant
Hardwick Alternate- Paul Fixx
Middlesex - Anita Krauth
Montpelier - Mia Moore
Montpelier Alternate - Andy Hooper
Orange - Lee Cattaneo
Plainfield - Vacant
Tunbridge - Vacant
Walden - Vacant
Washington - Vacant
Williamstown - Charles Sandlin
Woodbury - Dave Barnowski
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