TJPDC seeks input to help update solid waste plan

Nearly 50 years have passed since the United States adopted the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act which set up rules for how solid waste is managed across the county.

“RCRA states that ‘solid waste’ means any garbage or refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community activities,” reads the website of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality requires localities to produce a plan that describes the logistics for how discarded and unwanted materials are to be treated and managed. Many band together to create this solid waste management plan which is intended to guarantee there is enough capacity to handle trash disposal over a 20-year period.

That’s the case for four of the six localities in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission which last adopted a plan update in 2021.

“Under current conditions, solid waste generated in the region passes through one of four transfer stations or a materials recovery facility before waste ends up in a landfill (65 percent landfilled) or is shipped to recyclers (35 percent recycled) for further treatment,” reads the 2021 plan which covers Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, and Greene.

Louisa manages its own landfill and Nelson is part of the Region 2000 Authority around Lynchburg. Albemarle and Charlottesville’s solid waste management is handled by the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority but reported through the TJPDC.

The TJPDC is currently seeking feedback for the next plan update through a survey which is open through December 15.

“Your feedback will help determine the future of waste services, helping us understand what works and what needs to change to make the system more convenient, effective, and efficient for residents like you,” reads the beginning of the survey.

The work will also include updating data. The TJPDC solid waste planning generated an average of 105,405.3 tons each year between 2016 and 2020. The 2021 plan anticipates that increasing to 134,636.4 tons a year in 2045.

To familiarize yourself with the process, take a look at a two-page explainer on the TJPDC website.

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