Vermont's Universal Recycling Law (Act 148)

Vermont's Universal Recycling Law (Act 148) An act relating to establishing universal recycling of solid waste
	The Vermont Legislature unanimously passed the Universal Recycling (UR) law in 2012, which bans disposal of recyclables (metal, glass, plastics #1 & #2, and paper/cardboard) by JULY 1, 2015; leaf and yard debris and clean wood by JULY 1, 2016; and food scraps by JULY 1, 2020.* It also requires solid waste haulers and facilities to collect these same materials. *Review the Universal Recycling timeline and summary sheet below for specific dates and requirements.
Information & Resources
Stakeholder-specific information: The Solid Waste Program is developing resources for each of the stakeholder groups affected by the Universal Recycling law.  Information and resources are being created for: Residents, Haulers, Local Government (towns, municipalities, solid waste management districts), Businesses &  Institutions, Schools, and Solid Waste Facilities. As the materials are finalized, they will be posted on individual stakeholder pages.  Select the image below to access stakeholder-specific information and resources.
General information:
Universal Recycling Documents Vermont Materials Management Plan: Moving from Solid Waste towards Sustainable Management (Effective June 18, 2014) Universal Recycling Summary Sheet Universal Recycling Timeline Summary As Enacted Into Law Universal Recycling Introductory Power Point Presentation – Please contact us if you would like specific slides from this presentation. FINAL Variable Rate Pricing Guide (PDF) FINAL Variable Rate Pricing Guide (Word Version) General Resources Landfill Bans (PDF) A flyer listing the materials that are banned from landfill disposal by the State of Vermont. Food Scrap Haulers in Vermont  A list of solid waste transporters that haul food scraps that includes the towns served and contact information. ANR does not assume any liability for the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this list, and listing does not constitute an endorsement. If you haul food scraps and want to be added to this list, please contact Josh Kelly atjosh.kelly@state.vt.us. Compost Facilities in Vermont (PDF) find a compost facility near you. Additional Universal Recycling Resources This web page has links to several resources that may be helpful for implementing Universal Recycling.  Resource topics include compost and organics, food waste prevention, recycling, reuse and waste prevention.
Universal Recycling Principles: the Food Recovery Hierarchy and Universal Symbols
Prioritizing uses for food waste. Universal Recycling (Act148) includes a hierarchy of the preferred ways to manage food scraps and food residuals: 1. Reduce the amount of food residuals being generated at the source (shopping with a list, strategically planned meals etc 2. Direct extra food of high quality to feed people by donating to food shelves and other similar strategies 3. Use lower quality food residuals for agricultural uses, such as food for animals (see the Agency of Agriculture'sSwine Feeding Policy before feeding scraps to pigs) 4. Direct food residuals for compost, anaerobic digestion, and land application 5. Process for energy recovery Creating standardized symbols for Vermont.      Posted By JMc