The Windham Solid Waste Management District was one of four groups around the state that will split $45,000 from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources's DEC Solid Waste Program to support school recycling and composting programs across the state.
These grants facilitate implementation of Vermont's Universal Recycling Law, Act 148 of 2012, which requires phased-in recycling and composting statewide over the next 5 years.
WSWMD will received $11,250 to work with schools in Southeast Vermont. Other groups receiving grants the University of Vermont, the Northeast Recycling Council, and the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District
Each grant requires the grantee to develop and launch school-wide recycling and composting programs in at least four schools. ANR says conversations with schools have already begun, and programs will be developed and launched during the 2014-15 school year.
“We've been working with schools to find out what children eat at lunch, often by looking at what they throw away, ” said Bethany Yon, an UVM research associate. “Universal recycling will help those efforts by asking children to sort their food waste from other recyclables and landfill bound materials.”
For more information about universal recycling, visit www.recycle.vermont.gov.