More people using Ivy Solid Waste and Recycling center

This month the Thomas Jefferson Planning District is taking public comment on a draft solid waste management plan that must be submitted to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

Part of the draft plan simply describes all of the players involved with trash and refuse disposal.

“[The Rivanna Solid Waste Authority] provides solid waste and recycling services that support Charlottesville and Albemarle County, including regional drop-off recycling, household hazardous waste collection, special waste collection events, transfer operations, and related public information,” reads page 18 of the draft. “RSWA facilities are central to the urbanized portion of the planning unit and support regional diversion and safe disposal options.”

The RSWA Board of Directors consists of an elected official from each locality as well as city and county utility department heads. The Board meets every other month and last gathered on July 28. They learned from Executive Director Bill Mawyer that volumes are up this year at the Ivy Solid Waste and Recycling Center.

“The transfer operation at Ivy Solid Waste and continues to increase “ Mawyer said. “In comparison to June 2025, we’ve added about 50 tons per day in June of 2026, about a 23 percent increase. And we are staying under our daily permit limit of 450 tons.”

Last month the RSWA held a ground-breaking facility for a new piece of equipment that will expand the capacity to recycle cardboard and mixed paper. Mawyer said the agency processed about 2,300 tons last year and the new baler will allow that to grow.

“Not all of those will go through this facility, but a lot of them will,” Mawyer said. “The mixed paper, cardboard, the plastics and we run those through the two. We’ll have two baling facilities and 11 bays for the trailers to transport the bales away.”

Phil McKalips, RSWA’s solid waste manager, said the baling facility will give the public more opportunities to recycle.

“And that may include offering curbside, a place to do curbside receipt and act as a recycling transfer station,” McKalips said. “We could do that in this facility. There’s just a whole lot of things that can be done within that structure.”

According to the minutes from the May 26 meeting the baling facility had a cost estimate of $6.4 million but the actual price is closer to $5.8 million. Both Albemarle and Charlottesville contributed to the project.

About that solid waste plan? Visit the TJPDC website for a link to the draft and how you can add public comment.

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