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Solid Waste Master & Management Plans in the NERC States

© Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.
April 2009

This unique resource provides an overview and comparison of the waste hierarchies, and goals and objectives of all the Solid Waste Master & Management Plans in the 10 NERC States, including hyperlinks to each Plan. The resource also includes a table that details which states have identified product stewardship as a priority in their Solid Waste Plans and which have identified source reduction or recycling as a priority in their Climate Change Plans. Links are provided to each state’s Climate Change Plan. For more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein.

This document includes the following sections:

1. Web & Contact Links

2. Product Stewardship & Climate Change

3. Waste Hierarchy

4. Goals & Objectives

5. Glossary

1. Web & Contact Links. The following table provides hyperlinks to the state Plans as well as to key contact people within each state for additional information.

Table 1. Links to State Solid Waste Management Plans & Agency Contacts

State Agency Year Website Link
 Contact Person
Connecticut (CT)
Department of Environmental Protection		 2006 Solid Waste Management Plan
 Tessa Gutowski
Delaware (DE)
Solid Waste Authority		 1999 Solid Waste Management Plan and Executive Summary
 Wendy Pizzadili
Maine (ME) State Planning Office 2009

Waste Management and Recycling Plan

 Sam Morris
Massachusetts (MA)
Department of Environmental Protection		 2006 Solid Waste Master Plan
 John Fischer
New Hampshire (NH)
Department of Environmental Services		 2003 Don Maurer
New Jersey (NJ)
Department of Environmental Protection		 2006 Solid Waste Management Plan 2006
 Robert Goodwin
New York (NY)
Department of Environmental Conservation		 1999-2000 Solid Waste Management Plan: 1999-2000 Update
 Resa Dimino
Pennsylvania (PA)
Department of Environmental Protection		 2002 Draft Plan
 Michael Texter
Rhode Island (RI)
Resource Recovery Corporation		 2007

Rhode Island Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan

 Michael OConnell
Vermont (VT)
Agency for Natural Resources		 2001

Revised Solid Waste Management Plan

Solid Waste Implementation Plans Guidance Document/Template

 Jeff Fehrs

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2. Product Stewardship & Climate Change

Most of the NERC states have identified product stewardship as an area of interest in their Plans or have other programs in place to address product stewardship. In addition, most of the states also have Climate Change Action Plans that identify waste reduction and recycling as strategies for achieving climate change goals. All of the NERC states, with the exception of Pennsylvania, are members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The following table details which states have identified product stewardship in their Plans as well as hyperlinks to the Climate Change Plans.

Table 2: Product Stewardship & Climate Change

State

Product Stewardship

Climate Change

CT

The State’s Solid Waste Management Plan includes recommendations regardin product stewardship. The Plan envisions a “shift towards a shared responsibility framework…” Some product stewardship programs have already been implemented, including increased education, statewide paint recovery, and recent electronics recycling legislation.

The Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan recommends increases in recycling and source reduction, consistent with the state Solid Waste Management Plan.

DE

The State’s Solid Waste Plan does not address product stewardship.

The Delaware Climate Action Plan includes recommendations for increased waste reduction and recycling.

ME

Maine’s Waste Management and Recycling Plan acknowledges product stewardship as a successful strategy that has been implemented in the state for cathode ray tubes (CRT), thermostats, and cellular telephones, and encourages that the role of product stewardship be continued and expanded.

Maine’s Greenhouse Gas Initiative Plan has recommendations for increasing waste reduction/recycling as part of the Plan. The Waste Management and Recycling Plan recognizes that to move beyond a 50% recycling rate, the state could establish an emissions goal for all waste
management facilities. In addition, it could develop
performance standards for all recycling and waste facilities so that those facilities may be issued a greenhouse gas initiative rating.

MA

Product stewardship is mentioned in the 2006 Solid Waste Master Plan. There is a possibility that the role of product stewardship will be expanded in a planned 2009 revision to the Plan.

The state has a number of Climate Change Initiatives. All waste reduction initiatives are identified as climate change initiatives in the Master Plan, with a special focus on organics diversion.

NH

The State’s Solid Waste Management Plan does not address product stewardship.

The NH Climate Change Policy Task Force has issued a draft Action Report which includes a recommendation for implementing a “Pay as You Throw” initiative.

NJ

Product stewardship is extensively addressed in the State Wide Solid Waste Management Plan 2006, including a number of program recommendations.

The State’s Climate Change Action Plan includes waste reduction and zero waste goals.

NY

New York is in the process of updating its Solid Waste Management Plan.  It is expected that product stewardship will be a central policy recommendation in the Plan.  Potential targets for product stewardship programs include: ewaste; household hazardous waste; pharmaceuticals; carpets; automobiles; paint; and packaging.

Climate change is a major driver for NYS environmental policy.  As such, the draft Solid Waste Management Plan includes a chapter on waste and climate change.  It reviews the greenhouse gas implications of different waste management strategies and concludes that waste prevention, reuse, and recycling are preferable to disposal from a climate perspective.

PA

The Draft State Solid Waste Plan does not address product stewardship.

In December 2009 Pennsylvania Released its Climate Change Action Plan.  It includes recommendations for increased recycling, utilization of collected LFG for energy generation, use of anaerobic digestion, and increased use of waste-to-energy.

RI

The Solid Waste Plan encourages product stewardship for electronic waste management, which is supported by recent ewaste legislation.

The Rhode Island Greenhouse Gas Process (RI GHG) Action Plan includes solid waste reduction recommendations, including “Pay-as-You Throw” and Resource Management Contracting.

VT

Product stewardship is being considering for inclusion of the next revision of the state’s Solid Waste Management Plan - scheduled for 2011. Vermont is the first Northeast state to have a Product Stewardship Council.

The Vermont State Government Actions on Climate Change includes the state’s recommendations on waste reduction and diversion. Climate change language will be considered in the Solid Waste Management Plan revisions.

3. Waste Hierarchy

Table 3: Waste Hierarchy Comparison^

State

Reduce

Waste Reduction

Source Reduction
Reuse
Recycle
Compost
Landfill
Waste To Energy
Incineration
Volume Reduction
ME
1 2 3 4 6 5 5  
NH
  1 2 3 4    4  
NY
1 2 2 1 4 3 4  
RI
 1 1 2   4     3
VT
1 2 2 2 3   3  

^Only those states that include a waste hierarchy in their Solid Waste Management or Master Plan are included in this table.

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4. Goals

Table 4: Comparison of Goals & Objectives^

State
Recycling Goals
Waste Reduction Goals
General Objectives
Disposal Capacity
ME
 50% recycling rate Reducing MSW generation by 5% every two years.
"Strategies & Goals"
  • Improve collection and participation in public recycling programs.
  • Mandate recycling of old corrugated cardboard
  • Encourage communities to ban the disposal of leaf and yard waste
  • Encourage recycling the components of the construction and demolition debris waste stream that can be
    recycled
  • Expand recycling opportunities for commercial sources
  • Maine state government leads by example
  • Continue efforts to remove toxic wastes from Maine’s MSW stream
With approval of the proposed additional disposal capacity, Maine has sufficient capacity to meet its needs for the next 20 years.
NH
  • Reduce the volume of the solid waste stream.
  • Reduce the toxicity of the solid waste stream.
  • Maximize diversion of residential and commercial/industrial solid wastes.
  • Assure disposal capacity for New Hampshire.
  • Assure that solid waste management activities are conducted in a manner protective of human health and the environment.
"Sub-goals" and Objectives"
  • Working with the commercial, residential, and manufacturing sectors.
  • Reducing toxicity in packaging.
  • Promoting markets.
  • Improving data collection.
Has landfill capacity until 2017, however, examining the long-term forecast.
NY
 Recycling rate of 40-42% Waste reduction rate of 8-10% "Objectives" include:
  • Education and outreach to many sectors.
  • Evaluate and encourage new technologies.
  • Expand organic waste management.
  • Encourage Pay-as-you-Throw.
  • Promote recycling markets.
  • Provide municipal assistance.
  • Proper planning by municipalities.
Should be able to meet disposal needs through existing in-state landfills, waste-to-energy capacity, and exporting waste out-of-state with increasing dependence on the private sector for solid waste management services through 2003.
RI
 Environmentally sound management of solid waste that protects and preserves the environment and public resources, maximizes the useful life of the Central Landfill, and promotes the convenience, health, comfort, safety, and welfare of the people of the state.
  • Reduce the amount of solid waste generated.
  • Maximize recovery of post-consumer materials for reuse in the manufacture of new products.
  • Provide for necessary and reliable sound waste management facilities and programs.
  • Optimize the utilization of Central Landfill capacity to maximize its life.
  • Provide maximum protection of human health and the environment.
 At current rates of waste generation, capacity is available until January 2011. If
successful in increasing the diversion rates, the life of the
current landfill cell can be extended to May 2012.
VT
 None. Waste diversion rate of 50% by 2005.
"Critical Issues" include:
  • Reducing waste through waste prevention, reuse, and recycling.
  • Ensuring environmentally sound waste management facilities.
  • Reducing illegal disposal.
  • Monitoring disposal capacity.
  • Managing biosolids and septage.
  • Managing household hazardous waste, conditionally exempt generator waste, landfill banned materials, and other special wastes.
  • Managing junkyards.
  • Municipal and district solid waste implementation plans.
There may not be sufficient long term in-state capacity for wastes generated by Vermonters.

^Only states with current Plans are included in this table.

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5. Glossary

CT ~ Connecticut
DE ~ Delaware
MA ~ Massachusetts
ME ~ Maine
MSW ~ Municipal Solid Waste
NH ~ New Hampshire
NJ ~ New Jersey
NY ~ New York
NYS ~ New York State
PA ~ Pennsylvania
RI ~ Rhode Island
RIRRC ~ Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation
VT ~ Vermont

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