Vermont Primary Battery Stewardship Law (Act 139)

​Give new life to your “single-use”, alkaline batteries by recycling them through Call2Recycle® at convenient locations across Vermont. Participating collection sites include local businesses, retailers and solid waste/recycling transfer stations.  Single-use, alkaline batteries include AA, AAA, 9V, D-Cell, C-Cell, button cell, and more. Rechargeables are also included, along with cell phones. Certain components–such as heavy metals like cadmium, mercury, and lead—are hazardous to human health and the environment. Heavy metals may adversely affect kidney, liver, lung or brain functions in humans and wildlife. It’s important to keep these materials out of the landfill through safe disposal or recycling. Recycling of household batteries has the added value of reducing the need to expensively mine for virgin metals. This conserves natural resources and lessens environmental impacts from mining. 

Visit Call2Recycle.org to find a convenient drop-off location and get answers to your battery recycling questions. You may also call the GUV office at (802) 674-4474.

Vermont Universal Recycling Law (Act 148)

Vermont’s solid waste legislation, Act 148, focuses on recyclables and organics. It will provide convenience and choices for solid waste generators, including individuals, and will lead to more consistent services throughout the state.

“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.”

To learn more about this law, click here. You can also download and view the new universal recycling symbols for recycling, food, and trash here.

Vermont Paint Stewardship Law

Vermont began its new Paint Stewardship Law in May 2014. The law requires the paint industry to be responsible for collecting and managing leftover architectural paint in Vermont, reducing the role of government and taxpayers. The cost of the program will be paid by manufacturers who sell paint in the state. A fee will be included in the price of paint sold in Vermont. The program will be administered by PaintCare, a non-profit organization.

Collection sites in the area include the Hartford Transfer Station & Recycling Center, Norwich Transfer Station, Bethel-Royalton Transfer Station; Aubuchon Hardware – Bradford & Windsor; Welch’s True Value Hardware – Woodstock & Royalton; Britton’s Lumber & Hardware – Taftsville; Bibens Ace Hardware and Sherwin-Williams in Springfield. For more information visit www.paintcare.org.

Variable Rate Pricing Ordinance

One of the Key provisions of Act 148 that affect municipalities is the adoption of a Variable Rate Pricing (VRP) Ordinance. According to the Agency of Natural Resources: 

“Variable Rate Pricing is a rate structure where a person pays a set fee for each bag based upon the volume or weight for each bag they throw away. These pricing systems have been shown as an equitable means to incentivize waste reduction and diversion of recyclables and compostable material.”

The GUVSWD VRP Ordinance can be downloaded here.