The Lamoille Regional Solid Waste Management District will be making some changes at the Stowe Transfer Station very soon. Containers will be available to recycle cardboard boxes separate from the rest of your recyclables, similar to the glass program that has been available as an option for the past year. The items and equipment to start this program will be partially funded through a grant received from the Department of Environmental Conservation. The overall purpose of this grant is to support infrastructure that will improve the efficient collection and management of household food scraps, and/or mandatory recyclables. “The cost avoidance realized through the source-separation and on-site baling of high value materials is sure to benefit not only our operations but also District members in the future.” stated District Manager, Susan Alexander when asked about the program and grant support.
Baler that will be used to compact recyclable items into marketable cubes.
In addition to expanding the way recyclables are collected at the Stowe Transfer Station, funds from this $61,800 grant will also be used for infrastructure and pad improvements at the Lamoille Soil commercial composting facility which has been converting food scraps into compost since 2017. Over 350 tons of food scraps have been diverted from the landfill and fed to local soils as almost 300 cubic yards of compost over that time. The LRSWMD is required to provide a 60% match for the total cost of the projects at these locations. In total, the grant projects will be just over $154,000.
Pad work completed at Lamoille Soil commercial composting facility in Johnson. After 4 1/2 years and 350 tons of food, it needed a little reinforcement.
The mission of the LRSWMD is to reduce the quantity and toxicity of the amount of trash being generated and sent to the landfill while maintaining or improving overall environmental quality (air, water, and soil), treating customers and employees with respect, and operating within a balanced budget. District member towns include: Belvidere, Cambridge, Craftsbury, Eden, Elmore, Hyde Park, Johnson, Morristown, Stowe, Waterville, Wolcott, and Worcester. Contact the LRSWMD office at 802.888.7317 or visit us at www.lrswmd.org for more information.