New Waste Collection Facility to Open in June and Operate Seasonally
Bennington, VERMONT- On Thursday, May 25th, the Bennington County Solid Waste Alliance installed a new hazardous waste storage building at the Bennington Transfer Station, signaling the final stage of construction for the Alliances’ new household hazardous waste collection depot.
The depot will allow residents of southwestern Vermont an opportunity to safely dispose of items like cleaning products, paints, and pesticides when it better suits their schedule.
The facility is being built with a mix of state and local municipal sources including a grant from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation which is financing 60% of the costs for the $116,000 facility, with the 13 member towns of the Alliance funding the remainder. The Alliance projects the facility will reduce annual operations costs when compared to the previous model of hosting annual disposal events and pay for itself in approximately 3 years.
The new building includes a built-in chemical fire suppression system and explosion relief panels which will allow the Alliance to securely store hazardous materials and will save money by having waste sent out for safe disposal at bulk rates.
“In the past we had drop off events two or three days per year, and one event could cost more than $30,000 to host,” said Scott Grimm-Lyon, Program Manager for the Alliance. “The events had long lines and limited hours, and if you missed the day you had to wait months before you had a chance to get rid of it again. This facility means less stress for people when they want to clean out under the sink. It’s just one less thing to worry about.”
The facility will be open each week on Mondays (Tuesdays following holiday weekends) with an expected opening on June 26th and operating until early October.
Once open, residents will have the opportunity to request a dedicated appointment time to drop off material through the Alliance’s website at bcswa.org. There will be a $5.00 fee per car, per appointment.
Small businesses and residents without internet access may arrange for an appointment by calling the Alliance office at 802- 442-0713, Ext. 2. The disposal rate for Small Businesses will be determined by item type, quantity, and disposal cost.
In addition to the new depot, several local transfer stations and local retail establishments will continue to accept paint, fluorescent bulbs, used motor oil, computers and electronic waste, batteries and other materials banned from landfills. For more information, visit https://bcswa.org or follow the Alliance on social media.
The Bennington County Solid Waste Alliance (BCSWA) was formed in 2015 by the towns of Arlington, Bennington, Dorset, Glastenbury, Manchester, Pownal, Rupert, Sandgate, Searsburg, Shaftsbury, Stamford, Sunderland, and Woodford to adopt a solid waste management plan to implement Vermont’s recycling laws. The Alliance provides education and outreach on reducing waste, recycling, and proper disposal of hazardous materials to residents, businesses, schools, and institutions in the thirteen towns A complete list of disposal resources and information about its programs can be found at https://bcswa.org.