Vermont Proposes Wide-Ranging Landfill Ban

Vermont’s House passed a bill that would ban from the landfill a variety of materials mandated for recycling.

The Vermont General Assembly approved House Bill 485, which would ban from landfills after July 1, 2015, aluminum and steel cans; most paper commodities, including old corrugated cardboard, newspaper, magazines, white and colored paper, and boxboard; glass containers; polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles; and other materials.

According to the proposed bill, leaf and yard residuals would be banned after July 1, 2016, and source-separated organic material would have to go to a compost facility after July 1, 2017.

It would require solid waste haulers and facilities to offer recycling collection at no charge. Municipalities could impose charges for municipal solid waste collection that increase as the volume or weight increases.

The full act would take effect July 1.