SEPTEMBER 2018

September is always a time of reflection for me. Maybe it’s the shock of cool air that gets me thinking about what I accomplished over our short summer, and looking ahead to everything I hope to do before the calendar changes again.

CSWD’s staff and Board of Commissioners have been doing some reflecting of their own, looking back over the last 25 years of our existence and—more importantly—where we hope to go in the next decade and beyond.

In June, they sat down for an initial strategic look at our Drop-Off Centers (DOCs). At that public meeting, they considered the changes that have impacted DOC operations since the District was created 30 years ago.

For example, here’s a small sampling from just the last 10 years:

While visits and materials have grown dramatically, our sites haven’t (that’s a story for another day), an obviously unsustainable scenario. It was clear that our Board had some decisions to make. The very first question they considered at that meeting was as basic as it gets: “Do we want to keep operating Drop-Off Centers?” (Spoiler alert: They said “yes.”)

That may seem like a strange question, since for many of you CSWD is the Drop-Off Center.

And why not? After all, we collect a broader range of materials, at more locations, than anyone else in Vermont, and we are among only a handful of municipalities in the entire country that provide a year ‘round hazardous waste facility and seasonal Rover.

We’re proud that our Board has supported CSWD in providing services and programs that far exceed what is required by the State.

In all of the facilities and services we provide to our community, one of the responsibilities we take most seriously is customer and staff safety. Early in that June Board meeting, as our Board considered the issue of safety at our DOCs, it became clear that the ReUse Zone (a.k.a. “the free shed”) contributes more to safety concerns for our customers and staff than any of the other services we provide.

After much discussion during the June meeting, our Board arrived at the difficult decision to close the ReUse Zones at our Drop-Off Centers.

Does this mean that we are giving up on reuse? Of course not.

As always, we will continue to encourage, promote, and invest in the kind of creative solutions to waste that our community is admired for. Solutions like Repair Cafes in Burlington and Charlotte, Local Color recycled paint, and Huntington’s packaging reuse shed (among many, many others).

We have a long and growing list of local reuse & donation options on our website and a grant program with $25,000 available for projects to reduce waste (Huntington used it to build their reuse shed). I strongly encourage you to take advantage of them!

We will keep exploring options to improve safety and efficiency at our facilities while providing affordable, convenient service as our community grows and evolves over the next 25 years—and beyond.

Thanks for reading,

Your recycling bin or cart is for a specific set of items – containers (like bottles, cans, and jars), paper & cardboard. Putting other items in your bin, like plastic bags or batteries, can endanger our workers and cause shut-downs at our facility.

Show Your Bounty is back! Win a truckload of compost

Got a project to reduce waste?

We have grant funding for that.

We have $25,000 in funding available for projects that reduce the amount of trash being sent to the landfill from Chittenden County.

Here’s an idea: The Town of Huntington used a grant to start a Packaging Reuse Shed for residents to share leftover boxes, bubble wrap, and other packing materials.

“Talk to us, like neighbors do.”

@cswdvt

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Got a question? Just ask our A-Z list: From donation & recycling options to the landfill (last resort), we can tell you what to do with just about anything.

Wood bunker service interruption at South Burlington Drop-Off Center