WSWMD receives annual grant from Vermont DEC for convenient, cost-effective household hazardous waste disposal
CONTACT: John Fay, Programs & Operations Manager, WSWMD
Brattleboro, VT –PRESS RELEASE: June 8, 2022
This May, the Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD) re-opened its household hazardous waste (HHW) Depot. The HHW Depot first opened in May 2021 and in the 6 months it was open last year it served 326 households from 16 district towns.
In the past, handling and disposal of HHW at special, one-day collection events was costing WSWMD as much as $200 per vehicle served. Last year the average cost per vehicle served was about $70. The HHW Depot is proving to be a more cost-effective service to residents, schools, and small businesses, while providing the convenience of being open every week.
Residents can utilize the facility for a nominal fee of $10 per vehicle. Businesses and schools are charged a disposal fee based on the types and quantities of materials.
Appointments for the HHW Depot are available by calling WSWMD or online at windhamsolidwaste.org. A Saturday collection will also be conducted July 16 in Wilmington and is open to all member towns.
WSWMD was awarded a four-year solid waste implementation planning grant of $154,593.60 ($38,648.40 per year) in 2020 by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), a division of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The grant program is now in its third year. Grant funds are being used to support this project, including disposal and operational costs of the HHW Depot.
The grant is made available from the Solid Waste Management Assistance Fund provided by the State to help towns and solid waste planning entities implement their solid waste plans, as required by state law.