Waste Reduction In Vermont

The state of Vermont is going about reducing it’s solid waste output in completely the wrong way. Why crack down on Vermont Compost and Intervale Compost, two entities working hard to do the right thing and reduce the amount of trash we bury in landfills? Enforcement is not the way here, the state needs to work with responsible people trying to do the right thing. After all, where else is this waste to go but the landfill?

Yes, ok so there’s some site issues. I’m not disagreeing, but come on, suggest/help find an alternative. Food waste to compost is such a noble and worthy cause. Making a resource out of a waste, that’s what we need more of, not less. What’s the alternative? Burying it in the ground and letting future generations deal with the issue? Not that I think it’s much better than landfilling, but at least New Hampshire has kept up with technology. With modern pollution controls, they incinerate all their waste and generate electricity from it.

No landfills, plus. Electrical generation, plus. Unfortunately there is still hazardous ash left over, minus. Also some pollution that eludes the controls set in place, minus. I see it as breaking even, versus lanfilling which is just a minus. Is this what Vermont should move toward???? What options do we really have left if the state won’t let anybody do anything with waste other than landfill it?

In this case we’re not really talking about dangerous pollutants or hazardous household chemicals, its just food waste. The only problems that you can run into both relate to the site. The first is leachate of the nutrients from the compost into the groundwater. The second is animals, whether it be flies, rats, raccoons etc. Solve these two issues and you’ve got a successful waste reduction operation. Even Martha Stewart in the latest issue of her magazine uses Vermont Compost for her garden.

So please State of Vermont, work with these good people, don’t arbitrarily regulate them. Let VT compost go back and get whatever permits they need, don’t close them down. If there turns out to be issues still, then work with them to solve them. Same with the Intervale, so there’s site issues that can’t be overcome. Work with them, help them find a new site that will work, it’s in everyone’s best interest. Move forward, not backward, after all they’re just good people trying to do the right thing for everyone!.