2023
ANNUAL REPORT TO MEMBER TOWNS
Bob Spencer, Executive Director
History and Current Status: The Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD) was formed in 1988 by eight towns who cooperatively managed a 30-acre landfill on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro until it closed in 1995. As more towns joined the District, a regional materials recovery facility (MRF) was constructed by the District adjacent to the closed landfill and processed dual-stream recyclable materials for 20 years until it stopped operating in 2017. Currently, 18 towns are members of WSWMD which employs 6 full-time and 3 part-time persons to provide educational programs and operate the transfer station and composting facility on Old Ferry Road.
Town Solid Waste Services: Seven member towns, Dover, Jamaica, Readsboro, Stratton, Townshend, Wardsboro, and Wilmington operate transfer stations for trash and recyclable materials. Other materials such as tires and electronics are also collected by some transfer stations, and most of the single-stream recyclables are processed at the Casella MRF in Rutland. All town transfer stations are required to provide containers for drop-off of food scraps. Three towns, Brookline, Halifax, and Marlboro provide 24-7 drop-off sites for recyclables. Three towns, Brattleboro, Vernon, and Westminster provide residential curbside trash and recycling collection. Five towns, Dummerston, Guilford, Newfane, Putney, and Somerset do not provide any trash or recycling services. Residents and businesses can contract with haulers for trash and recycling collection services. There are also two companies providing subscription collection of food scraps. The WSWMD website has a map showing the services provided by each town.
Financial Report: WSWMD finished fiscal year 2023 (FY23) with a budget surplus of $64,693, a portion of which has been allocated toward the construction of the expanded compost facility. Revenues of $1,461,136 off-set total expenses of $1,294,617 and $102,443 of capital plan and facility reserves.
The annual assessment to member towns for fiscal year 2024 was kept to a 4% increase.
Transfer Station: The WSWMD transfer station is a regional drop-off center for trash, recyclables, organics/food scraps, construction & demolition debris, scrap metal, and appliances. The transfer station also handles electronics, fluorescent tubes, ballasts, lead-acid and household batteries, waste oil and oil filters, paint, sharps/syringes, textiles, books, tires, and household hazardous waste. Use of the transfer station is limited to residents and businesses from member communities and requires the purchase of an access sticker at $50/year. Approximately 3,000 customers purchase annual access stickers. There is no additional charge for recycling and composting. Fees are presented at www.windhamsolidwaste.org.
Materials Recovery Facility (MRF): The District voted to close the MRF in July 2017 but continues to accept cardboard from commercial sources. Cardboard is baled and sold, generating revenue for the District. Revenue in FY23 was $55,851, a significant decrease from the prior year due to declining markets for recycled cardboard. Industry projections suggest higher commodity prices for cardboard in FY24.
Composting Facility: Of all recyclable materials handled by the District, the only ones that are reused locally are food scraps and yard debris. The food scrap composting facility is in its 10th year of operation and is the 2nd largest food scrap composting facility in Vermont. WSWMD donates compost for school and community gardens.
As the food scrap composting mandates of Act 148 have been phased in, the total quantity of food scraps processed at the site have increased each year, and therefore the District will be constructing a new composting facility that will have a building with aerated windrows, air collection for odor control, as well as rainwater and liquid management systems for the compost piles. The expansion will allow the District to continue to locally manage organic wastes while meeting state permitting requirements for a larger capacity facility. Funding for the new facility is from federal and state grants, as well as District funds. Non long-term debt is anticipated.
Solid Waste Implementation Plan (SWIP): All towns in Vermont are required to meet state solid waste management requirements through implementation of an authorized SWIP. The District writes and implements a SWIP on behalf of all its member towns, and so provides compliance and the accompanying services to each member town. 2023 was the third year of the five-year term of the current SWIP, which addresses household hazardous waste collection, education and outreach, as well as numerous other requirements.
Solar Array: WSWMD leases its capped landfill to Greenbacker Capital to operate a 5 mega-watt solar array, the largest group net-metered project in the state. Greenbacker has contracted to provide solar power for 20 years to the towns of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Halifax, Newfane, Readsboro, Vernon, Wardsboro, and Wilmington.; schools in Brattleboro, Marlboro, Putney, and Vernon; as well as Landmark College, Marlboro College, and the Brattleboro Retreat. The project provides significant cost savings for municipal and school budgets. Greenbacker Capital has a 20-year lease and pays the District a minimum of $120,290/year for use of the landfill, as well as 50% of renewable energy credits, for total annual revenue of over $250,000.
Household Hazardous Waste: Management of household hazardous waste is a costly and difficult service required by state regulations. Member towns benefit by having the District provide this service to all District residents and small businesses at the WSWMD Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Depot in Brattleboro (and occasional one-day special events in member towns, although none were hosted in 2023). The HHW Depot is open by appointment one day each week from May through October. This year participation continued to increase, with 377 households and 14 small businesses served by the program. The average disposal cost per user also increased almost 30% to $103, for a total program cost of $52,100 including indirect costs. The costs are offset by a Vermont DEC grant program, operating costs of the District, and a nominal user fee of $10 per visit. The Depot provides a convenient way for residents and small businesses to dispose of their hazardous waste.
Community Outreach & Technical Assistance: The District continues to provide technical assistance for schools, businesses, and towns. In 2023, WSWMD completed work on a grant from the US Department of Agriculture which resulted in a suite of videos that are available on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/@wswmd). The videos won the 2023 Municipal Partner Award from Brattleboro Community Television (BCTV). Throughout the year the District was also able to provide educational resources including in-person tours or workshops to the Dover, NewBrook, and Vernon schools, and virtual classroom workshops to Guilford, Jamaica, NewBrook, and Townshend schools. For the towns with transfer stations (Dover, Jamaica, Readsboro, Stratton, Townshend, and Wilmington) the District has continued to provide more signage and technical assistance. In 2023, the District assisted over 40 businesses with their waste management needs.
Special Event Outreach and Technical Assistance: The WSWMD Special Event Bin lending program grew in popularity in 2023 with our new improved bins and with the pandemic receding. The bins, used to separately collect recyclables, food scraps, and trash, were used at 24 special events this year. They are available to towns, businesses, residents, and institutions for use at fairs, festivals, weddings, etc. In addition, WSWMD offers free technical assistance to help events reduce their waste.