About Us

The Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District (CVSWMD) is leading our communities to reduce waste! As a union municipality with a Zero Waste​ Implementation Plan, we provide valuable waste management programs and services to our 19 member cities and towns to assist them in proper waste disposal and reduction efforts. The CVSWMD serves Barre City, Barre Town, Berlin, Bradford, Calais, Chelsea, Duxbury, East Montpelier, Fairlee, Hardwick, Middlesex, Montpelier, Orange, Plainfield, Tunbridge, Walden, Washington, Williamstown, and Woodbury. 

In 1987, the Vermont Legislature passed Act 78, the state’s first solid waste law, to help reduce and manage waste in the state. Act 78 created solid waste districts throughout the state. The 16 solid waste districts in Vermont are union municipalities that design regional solutions to the solid waste challenges faced by their member towns. CVSWMD was Chartered in 1987 to provide for disposal of solid waste generated by its member towns and cities. CVSWMD writes the Solid Waste Implementation Plan (SWIP) and meets other state requirements that towns and cities would otherwise have to provide for on their own. In 2004, we became leaders by adopting a Zero Waste SWIP. 

CVSWMD represents the overall interests of our members towns through our Board of Supervisors, which consists of a city/town appointed representative.  We are frequently involved in state level solid waste policy planning and implementation.  CVSWMD licenses private haulers to provide waste hauling services and drop-off locations for residents and businesses. With a full-time staff of seven and several part-time or on-call staff, we strive to provide ambitious programming that will make our district a leader both in Vermont and the nation when it comes to sustainable waste management and waste reduction. We hold numerous Special Collection Events each year and pride ourselves on being the go-to resource for "all things solid waste" for members.  

Our award-winning school and business composting programs serviced the community and garnered national attention for 14 years, ending in 2017. We were servicing all 25 public  schools in the district and hauling food scraps from such institutions and businesses as the New England Culinary Institute, Shaws, Price Chopper, and Panera. Since these two programs began in 2004, we have worked with our partners, students, and business clients to divert over 11 tons of food waste from landfills and incinerators.  In 2017 we contracted with Grow Compost of Moretown to take over hauling our routes. With the Universal Recycling Law in place and a food scrap ban across the state, effective in 2020, we saw an opportunity for the private sector to take over food scrap hauling.

Together with the community, we're building a beautiful, healthy and waste‐free central Vermont!