Dive Brief:
- A three-year-old state law prohibiting certain items from being deposited in municipal trash takes effect July 1. The state’s Universal Recycling Law bans residents and businesses from tossing into garbage recyclables including plastics, glass, paper and cardboard. Soon, waste haulers also will have to pick up those separated recyclables.
- Once the law takes effect, municipalities throughout Vermont will have to institute a pay-as-you-throw system of waste collection.
- Beginning June 29, Brattleboro, VT will start using designated pay-as-you-throw bags. Across the state, waste transfer stations will accept only garbage bags containing allowable items, and also will take recyclable items that are separate from waste contained in garbage bags.
Dive Insight:
Economic opportunities for municipalities are inherent in the new recycling law in the Green Mountain State. Vernon, VT, one of the state’s earlier adopters of the new waste and recycling system, adopted the system a year ago and has seen major cuts in the amount of landfill-bound trash. Vernon used to collect 15 tons trash per week, and now collects about less than half that amount.
Materials that soon will be required to be separated for pick-up include glass bottles and jars, aluminum and steel cans and aluminum foil and aluminum pie plates, plastic bottles and jugs, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, magazines, catalogues, envelopes, paper mail and paper bags, and white and colored paper.
