This comment was made by Beth Parent, community engagement and outreach manager for the Chittenden Solid Waste District.

As America Recycles Day approaches on November 15, the Chittenden Solid Waste District wants to congratulate you on your commitment to the three R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle). By giving materials a second chance at life instead of sending them to landfill, you are helping to build a more sustainable future.

Chittenden County residents and businesses are making impressive progress in diverting waste from Vermont’s only landfill, according to our own waste diversion report: 51% of all waste generated in our county was reused or recycled and kept out of the landfill last year. It may not seem like much, but considering only 80% of the total waste stream can be diverted, achieving a 51% diversion rate is a significant achievement. This places us among the top waste-diverting regions in the country, alongside cities like Seattle and San Francisco.

A significant portion of what was diverted and recycled were blue-box recyclables processed at CSWD’s materials recycling facility in Williston. Last year, over 40,000 tons of recyclables from residents, businesses and institutions in northern Vermont were sorted, baled and marketed at this facility. Aluminum, paper, plastic, cardboard and tin were sold to processors in the United States and Canada, where manufacturers purchased them and processed them into new materials.

For example, the yogurt or sour cream containers we all throw in blue boxes are made of polypropylene, a very valuable product in the recycling world. After being collected and sorted in Vermont, these containers are shipped to a facility in Alabama where they are processed into polypropylene pellets, which are then purchased and used to create new products. Some are even used to make plastic paint cans used by paint manufacturers in the United States and other parts of the world.

This is just one example of how we are helping to close the recycling loop and reduce the need for virgin resources.

Keep it simple and in the right place

It’s tempting to “wish cycle,” i.e. toss non-recyclable items into the trash, hoping they will thaw. But sticking to the basics like paper, cardboard, hard plastic containers and bottles, glass jars and aluminum cans is the best way to keep our blue bin system efficient and effective.

For anything that doesn’t belong in the blue bin, CSWD offers safe and responsible disposal and specialized material recycling options through a variety of facilities: six convenient drop-off centers throughout the county, an organics recycling facility for food and yard waste in Williston, and a residential recycling facility in South Burlington. Environmental warehouse that accepts hazardous waste. These facilities ensure that all types of materials are managed in a way that protects our environment and keeps harmful substances out of landfills.

Why are individual and collective efforts important?

America Recycles Day is a reminder of the importance of recycling, which preserves valuable natural resources and energy. It’s about you, your neighbors and your family making thoughtful choices about waste. Whether it’s rinsing the yogurt container before throwing it in the blue bin or making conscious choices about the products we buy, every decision you make contributes to a healthier environment and a sustainable future. Simple actions, such as choosing products with minimal packaging or choosing reusable products over disposable ones, increase our collective impact.

America Recycles Day is about celebrating the things we’re already doing right and encouraging each other to learn and grow. While recycling may seem small on an individual level, the power of these actions leads to meaningful change. Every recyclable material kept out of the landfill represents a shared commitment to a greener, healthier Vermont.