Town of Londonderry, Vermont

Wheels For Wishes Vermont

Wheels For Wishes is a car donation program benefiting Make-A-Wish® Vermont. We are proud to offer a free and easy way to recycle or donate unwanted cars, trucks, motorcycles, SUVs, RVs, or even boats, by turning them into a wish for a local child.

Our URL is http://vermont.wheelsforwishes.org/ and our phone number is +1 (877) 431-9474.

Vermont Adopts a new Solid Waste/Recycling Bill Effective July 1, 2012. This is What you Need to Know.

Act No. 148 (H.485). Conservation and land development; solid waste; recycling

An act relating to establishing universal recycling of solid waste

This act amends multiple requirements for the management of solid waste in the state.

The act requires solid waste facilities to separate recyclable materials from solid waste and requires waste transporters to offer to collect recyclable materials separate from solid waste. The recyclable materials required to be separated are: mandated recyclables, leaf and yard residuals, and food residuals. Mandated recyclable is defined as source-separated, traditional recyclable materials, such as cans, glass bottles, plastic containers, cardboard, and newspaper. Leaf and yard residuals are defined as source-separated, compostable untreated vegetative matter. Food residuals are defined as source-separated, compostable material derived from the processing or discarding of food. The requirements for separation of recyclable materials are phased in over several years. The act authorizes certain exemptions or variances for solid waste facilities and transporters. A solid waste facility that offers the collection of solid waste shall not charge a separate fee for the collection of mandated recyclables. Facilities may charge a commercial hauler for the collection of mandated recyclables. A transporter that offers the collection of solid waste shall not charge a separate line item fee for collection of mandated recyclables, but may charge a fee for each service call at a residential property.

The act establishes a hierarchy of how food residuals should be managed for various available uses. The act requires generators of food residuals to separate food residuals from solid waste and manage the residuals on site or transfer them to a location for management. The requirement to separate food residuals is only triggered when a generator exceeds a specified threshold amount, and the generator is located within 20 miles of a certified organics management facility that has capacity and will accept the residuals. The act provides that a de minimis amount of food residuals may be disposed of in solid waste. The date by which a generator will be required to separate food residuals will be phased in based on the tonnage of food residuals generated per year. By July 1, 2020, any person generating any amount of food residuals will be required to manage the residuals on site or arrange for their transfer.

The act requires the agency of natural resources (ANR) to readopt the state solid waste management plan by November 2013. The act adds additional priorities that the solid waste plan is required to promote, including materials management which generates less waste, closed loop recycling, and reduction of reliance on disposal. The act requires the state solid waste implementation plan to include additional information, including a waste stream analysis and a waste composition study. ANR is required to report to the general assembly in November 2013 with a comprehensive analysis of the state solid waste system. The act requires a separate report on the management of waste tires in the state and a separate report on the expansion of the beverage container redemptions system.

The act requires municipal solid waste implementation plans to implement variable rate pricing for the collection of municipal solid waste by July 1, 2015. The act also imposes landfill disposal bans for mandated recyclable materials, leaf and yard residuals, wood waste, and food residuals. Beginning July 1, 2015, when a public building or public land provides a container for solid waste collection, an equal number of containers shall be provided for mandated recyclables. The act makes additional technical changes to ANR's solid waste management authority.

View the complete text of this act.

Effective Date: July 1, 2012

The Londonderry Group "Getting it Together" for Dual Stream Recycling

The towns of Landgrove, Londonderry, Peru, Weston and Windham, members of The Londonderry Group, are switching from a Source Separated to Dual Stream Recycling beginning August 2012. In the older system each type of material was kept separate requiring either many bins at home or standing at the recycling center separating each material into different bins. Dual Stream Recycling will mean less separating of recyclable materials and less trash to dispose of which translates to less dollars spent. Recycling is free.

The two streams are: commingled-glass, tin cans, steel cans, #1-#7 plastics as well as rigid plastics like toys, frozen food cartons, juice boxes, milk cartons, plastic clamshells aluminum foil and pie plates and mixed fibers-envelopes, computer, fax and copy paper, brown grocery bags, magazines and catalogs, chipboard, paper egg cartons, telephone books, paperbacks, junk mail and fliers, newspaper. All the Commingled can be mixed in one container and all the Mixed Fibers can be mixed in another container.

Recycling saves resources, prevents pollution, supports public health, and creates jobs. It saves money, avoids landfills, and best of all, it's now easier. For more information email londonrecycle@vermontel.net or visit Recycling Center.

Don’t Trash It – Cash It

The Londonderry Solid Waste Group will be kicking off the new Vermont Mercury Thermostat Incentive Program at their Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, May 16 from 9 am to 1 pm at Flood Brook Union School on route 11 in Londonderry. Many old thermostats contain mercury, which can harm our health and environment. If you bring your old mercury thermostats to the Hazardous Waste Collection for safe disposal, you will receive a $5 coupon which can be redeemed for, yes,that’s right, $5. To be eligible for the $5 incentive the thermostat must be whole with the cover attached and contain mercury.  Not to worry, if you can’t make it to the Hazardous Waste Collection you can bring your mercury thermostats to the Londonderry Transfer Station during their regular hours. This will be an ongoing program. If you have questions you can contact the Recycling Coordinator, Esther Fishman at 824-3356 or londonrecycle@vermontel.net. For more information about the Hazardous Waste Collection, visit Hazardous & Special Wastes.

Refrigerator Recycling Rebate Program

Efficiency Vermont has launched a seasonal refrigerator recycling program that offers free pick up of old, energy-wasting refrigerators and freezers, a $30 rebate check, utility bill savings, and state-of-the-art disposal and recycling of the appliances. Click here for details

Walgreens Launches Nationwide Safe Medication Disposal Program

Walgreens has launched the first ongoing, nationwide Safe Medication Disposal Program, a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of unused or expired medications. For $2.99, customers can purchase a specially designed envelope available at any Walgreens pharmacy counter that allows them to place, seal and mail prescription or over-the-counter medications they no longer use for safe, eco-friendly disposal. Controlled substances are excluded from this program due to current regulations. Postage is included in the cost of the envelope.

Once securely sealed, the envelope can be dropped into any U.S. Postal Service mailbox where it will be sent to an approved medication incinerator. There, a licensed law enforcement official is onsite as part of a quality control system to ensure no envelope is tampered with or opened. Envelopes remain sealed while incinerated. Ashes from the incinerated envelopes can be used for making ?green? related building materials rather than going into a landfill.

A recent Associated Press investigation discovered trace amounts of a variety of pharmaceutical drugs in the drinking water supply of 24 major metropolitan areas across the country. Though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says these trace amounts pose no public safety risk, there is still heightened awareness of proper medication disposal among many Americans. By providing this safe disposal envelope, Walgreens pharmacists can help patients not only make informed choices about their medication but also offer a convenient, hassle-free way to safely handle medications they no longer use.

Directory Publishers to Re-launch Yellow Pages Opt-Out Website

The Yellow Pages Association (YPA) and the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP) will revamp their existing website allowing for consumers to opt out of phone book delivery service. The current version of the site provides users with a list of opt-out services available in a given zip code, reachable by telephone or by web access. The new site, set to launch in early 2011, will allow consumers to cancel deliveries from any publisher with just the click of a mouse. Yellowpagesoptout.com is the only opt-out system fully backed by directory publishers, although Catalog Choice offers an all-inclusive system for customers to opt-out of catalog mail as well as phone books, and provides transparent data. Some states and municipalities have considered implementing an opt-in rule that would require publishers to deliver directories only to residences that have requested the phone book, while others are considering opt-out legislation. The New York State Assembly and the City of Seattle have already introduced opt-out legislation this session, while other state and local agencies have indicated they will follow suit. Seattle's bill also includes an industry payment to the City to cover the costs of phone book recycling. Updated Phone Book Opt-Out Website to Debut in 2011

VHS Tapes (from Women's Day Magazine)

Now that DVDs have taken over, everyone has a pile of old VHS tapes gathering dust. To keep them out of landfills, drop them in the mail to Alternative Community Training, a nonprofit Missouri company that provides jobs to people with disabilities. Workers erase the tapes, reselling the ones that are in good shape and recycling the plastic parts of the rest. They’ve recycled more than 1 million tapes so far. Mail the tapes (at the cheaper USPS media mail rate) to ACT, 2200 Burlington, Columbia, MO 65202

Attention Businesses, Municipalities, and Non-profits – Got Stuff? Need Stuff?

The Reuse Marketplace is a website where businesses, government, institutions, and non-profits can post unwanted items for free. If you go to the site right now, you will see a variety of items posted, including: a check point security system, windows, a jet dust collector, stereo speakers, burlap bags, etc. The site includes more than 30 material categories, making it a great marketplace for exchanging items.

This craigslist-like website for Vermont businesses allows you to save time and money! Check out all the possible items to list as wanted or available:

• Auto parts
• Computer equipment
• Construction equipment (backhoe, loaders)
• Construction materials (wood, doors, drywall)
• Containers (drums*, pails, gaylords)
• Electronics (scanner/copier*,phones)
• Furniture (table*, file cabinets, chairs*)
• Glass (tiles*)
• Janitorial (paper towel dispensers*)
• Office equipment
• Office supplies (light bulbs*, notebooks*)
• Packaging materials (boxes, peanuts*, bubble wrap, mailing tubes*, packing tape gun*)
• Paint
• Pallets
• Restaurant equipment (table & booth, coolers)
• Textiles
• Tools
• Wood

To become a member and start posting items, you must be located in one of the seven participant states (CT, DE, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI, & VT) and create an account. Once the site administrator reviews and accepts your account (generally within 24 hours), you can begin posting your items. Anyone is welcome to browse and obtain the posted items by contacting the lister directly. For more information, contact the site administrator, Mary Ann Remolador maryann@nerc.org of the Northeast Recycling Council.

*** Please note: Live animal listings, meats, and vegetables are not allowed.***