The Addison County Solid Waste Management District’s (ACSWMD) Board of Supervisors (BOS) moved to adopt its 2020 Solid Waste Implementation Plan (SWIP) on December 9, 2020. The adoption came after two public hearings and approval from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The five-year plan provides guidance on materials management with key benchmarks through December 31, 2025. A copy of ACSWMD’s 2020 SWIP is available on our website.
The SWIP addresses all aspects of solid waste management within the 21 member towns of the District. In addition to demonstrating that the solid waste management system is in conformance with the mandates of the new State Solid Waste Plan, the purpose of the SWIP is to incorporate the ACSWMD’s mission statement into its policies and plans by:
- Educating the public on the reduction and diversion of recyclables, leaf & yard debris, food scraps, clean wood, hazardous waste, textiles, and construction & demolition debris, as well as beneficial uses of biosolids;
- Working with schools and businesses to improve their waste diversion programs;
- Improving waste reduction at events and public spaces;
- Demonstrating how recyclables, organics, hazardous waste, textiles, construction & demolition debris, and biosolids are managed in the ACSWMD;
- Showing how the ACSWMD will implement variable rate pricing for trash and recyclables;
- Identifying criteria for siting solid waste facilities in member towns;
- Establishing procedures for including solid waste facilities in the SWIP;
- Listing the solid waste facilities and licensed commercial haulers that operate in the ACSWMD; and
- Outlining goals for the future.
In addition to the objectives listed above, the following are highlights of the new plan:
- The District will continue to track the overall diversion rate of its member towns every two years, despite the removal of this requirement by the State of Vermont.
- In 2020, with a grant from the VT Agency of Natural Resources, the District added special collection areas for asphalt shingles and new construction drywall at the District Transfer Station. These materials will be collected for the duration of the new SWIP and diverted from the landfill.