Zero Waste Central Header
Quarterly Newsletter
Summer 2012 
 
QuickLinks

 




Who We Are
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. 
 


 
Join Our Mailing List
Like us on Facebook
Check Out Our New Facebook Page!
Here is where we will post information and tips on Zero Waste living, news about the CVSWMD and all of our programs. As a member of the district, this is a great way to learn about our special collections (see below), our Free Fridays, our new programs, and much, much more.
We are Zero Waste Central!

Programcollections 
paint cans
Six More Hazardous Waste and Special Collections in 2012 

It's not too late to participate in our Household Hazardous Waste, e-waste, textile, tires, or books collections. We still have six more happening throughout Central Vermont. If you have questions about any of the collections, please call 229.9383 x106. Still wondering what hazardous waste is? Check out our household hazardous waste page to learn what to bring.*All events are from 9AM- 1PM.

 

Please visit our website for more information, locations and directions! Or open and print out the flyer. *Businesses: Call to pre-register! 

 

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

 

Fees:

-Household Hazardous Waste: $15 per residential car load

-Other Materials: Free! (no household trash)

 

    

 
QuickFact

Quick Fact: Disposing of Empty Prescription Bottles

 

Unfortunately, we cannot recycle them (for now!) in the CVSWMD, however, we have found some great options for reuse and recycling clean, empty prescription bottles: 
 
 

 

SchoolSchool Updates
by Gwen Lyons-Baker 

 

School Zero Waste - 1st Year a Success! 
 

The School Zero Waste Grant Pilot Program was a huge success during its first year. The grant program, created with the goal of providing public schools with funding to use toward a waste reduction related project or initiative. Schools can apply for up to $2500 each school year. Eleven schools applied and were awarded funding. The total amount funded in FY12 was $12,986.54. Examples of initiatives and projects included the purchase or reusable utensils, trays, cups and bowls (to replace disposables) or purchasing water fountains with water bottle fillers so students, faculty and staff could more easily use refillable water bottles 

     

locker clean out msms
Binders ready for reuse after locker cleanouts at MSMS
ReUse Opportunities at Locker Cleanout

The Main Street Middle School (MSMS) Team Summit Green Team and the Oxbow HS Environmental Coalition took waste reduction at school to a whole new level. With the help of CVSWMD staff, both schools hosted a locker-clean out event to ensure that all that stuff that's collected in lockers all year doesn't end up in the trash! Students created signage and set up sorting stations in the hallways. As students cleaned out their lockers, members from the clubs helped students sort their unwanted things into categories - trash, recycling, reuse and composting (eek). Click here to find out what they found! 

 

2nd Annual Compost Poetry Contest  
Congratulations to our winners of the 2nd Annual School Compost Poetry Contest!  Each received $50, a "Compost" T-shirt, a framed certificate and their poem published on our website and in our e-newsletter. Winners were: Willa Royle Long, Kindergarten - Washington Village School; Willem Slade, Gr. 5 - Union Elementary School; Lilly Smith, Gr. 8 - Main Street Middle School; and Juliette Rose Wunrow, Gr. 12 - U-32 High School. Read their poems on our website. 

 

Summer

Low-Waste Summer Party Ideas

by Magen Farleydisposable plate
Waste Not

Summer is a time for fun. School is over, the weather is hot, and it is time to party. But what happens after the party is over? Trash cans are left overflowing with food and drink containers, disposable dishware, and half-eaten food. Click here for ideas to have a waste-free party. 

 

 

To Biodegrade or Not to Biodegrade
Approximately 18% of the waste that American's produce is made up of disposable containers. That is 18% of the trash of 300 million people. It fills up dumps with materials that spend the next few thousand years leaching toxic chemicals into the environment. Click here to read the whole article.

 

NotesCVSWMD Notes
casette tapes
Cassette tapes are one of many unusual items we are accpeting during our Free Fridays.
freeFREE  Fridays!  

Our FREE Friday residential collections continue at our Barre Facility at 3 Williams Lane each Friday from Noon - 6PM until August 31st We are accepting the following items from residents (but not from businesses for now):  food scraps, cheese packaging, books, documents for shredding, textiles, beauty product packaging, CD's & DVD's (and cases), VHS & audio cassettes, drink pouches, floppy discs, inkjet cartridges, MP3 players & GPS units, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, digital cameras, propane canisters, bottle caps, corks & lids, and cereal bags. Call Collin at 229-9383 x106 for more info.

GrantCVSWMD Receives $20,000 Residential Composting Grant
Since 2004, we have been providing a way for schools and businesses to divert their organics to compost facilities. Now we will be able to offer the same thing to residents on a smaller scale. On June 25, the Vermont Attorney General's Office granted us $20,000 to develop a residential composting program, as part of a payment required under a recent consumer protection settlement with Fabri-Kal Corporation of Kalamazoo, MI, a supplier of "compostable" products, which only really compost in large-scale commercial facilities. See more information on our website.

LawAct 148 Brings Mandatory Recycling and Composting to All of Vermont

On May 5, 2012, Governor Shumlin signed H. 485, An Act Requiring Universal Recycling of Solid Waste into law.  Now Act 148, this legislation provides for consistent waste diversion practices throughout Vermont by requiring many waste materials be diverted from the landfill.  Among the requirements of Act 148 are phased landfill bans for materials including:

  • Mandatory recyclables July, 2015
  • Leaf and Yard Waste July, 2016
  • Food residuals July, 2020

CVSWMD is already working to determine how we might assist our member towns meet the requirements of Act 148.  Stay tuned for more information on how we can help you meet the goals established by the legislature.  


 

Introducing our new Zero Waste Outreach Coordinator: Cassandra Brush   

Zero Waste Outreach Coordinator, Cassandra Hemenway Brush
We welcome Cassandra, who started working with us this July. She has jumped right in to outreach and publicity, including work on the newsletter, website, and creating our new Facebook Page! Cassandra has striven toward a Zero Waste life for many years now, and has become a consultant of sorts to friends looking for ways to reduce clutter, and find free, used (and useful!) household items. She combines her love for sustainable living and foodie leanings in her blog, in which she posts recipes and stories based on creating a gourmet life by using what you have.    

   

Adieu and Good Luck to Program Assistant SarahWisnerSara Wisner

 After working with the district for over a year, program assistant Sarah will be leaving us to start graduate school this fall. While she greatly enjoyed her time at CVSWMD and loved learning so much about her home community, she is excited to shift focus and begin working towards an MFA in Screenwriting from Boston University. She is so proud of her home's Zero Waste goal and hopes to bring the ethics of pursuing Zero Waste wherever life may lead!

  

  

Thank you to our Intern Magen Farley!

Magen Farley Intern Magen has been helping us out as an intern this summer, but she is also a junior at Johnson State College studying creative writing.  She'll be with us working at CVSWMD until the middle of August, when she heads to California for a year-long exchange in Monterey.  Magen says, "I have loved working with CVSWMD and the experience has taught me a great deal." Thanks for all your great work, Magen!     

 

 

  

  

 

 

Contact Uscontactus

 

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:

Leesa Stewart - General Manager x101 

 

Barb Baird - Administrative Coordinator x100

 

Collin O'Neil - Program Manager x 106

 

Gwen Lyons - School Zero Waste Coordinator x 111

 

Sarah Wisner - Program Assistant x 105

 

Cassandra Hemenway Brush - Zero Waste Outreach Coordinator x 102

 

Annette Martin - Bookkeeper x 104

Bob Freeman - Driver

 

Ted Coles - Driver

 

Odin
Odin - Wellness Coordinator

Back to Quick Links 

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

Article Headline
Know your target audience. Who are your most important customers, clients or prospects, and why? Know what is important to them and address their needs in your newsletter each month. Include a photo to make your newsletter even more appealing. Inserting a link in your article lets you track which topics attract the most interest.