CSWD is replacing its 31-year-old Material Recycling Facility (MRF) in Williston, where blue-bin recyclables are sorted and prepared for market. This facility processes over 50% of all the recyclables generated in the state. The existing facility is over capacity and at the end of its life. The new MRF will be more efficient and effective, providing extensive environmental benefits and affordable, in-state processing for Vermonters’ recycling for years to come. The cost of the project is estimated at $33 million and will be paid for by CSWD reserves, grants and a $22 million bond approved by Chittenden County voters.
New Materials Recycling Facility (MRF)
Update (9.12.2024)
PROJECT DELAY
The plan for the new MRF was to build it on a parcel of land owned by CSWD, on Redmond Road in Williston. In 2020, a wetlands delineation was done on the property to determine if it was suitable for development. The report showed an area where the MRF could be located without disturbing the Class II wetlands present on the property.
Since then, a new road has been constructed along the north side of the property, which has altered the topography and introduced an impermeable surface near the planned location for the new MRF. Also, Vermont has experienced record rainfall in the past two years. These factors have changed the conditions on the property to support more wetland vegetation. This spring, state officials and our consultant walked the parcel and concluded that the site now qualifies as “primarily a wetland community”. Our consultant determined the northern portion of the parcel, where we planned on building the new MRF, is a mosaic of over 80% wetland.
The placement of a MRF on the Redmond Road site is possible but would require impacts to state regulated wetland buffers and would include full impacts to wetlands resources regulated by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Considering this new information, CSWD’s Executive Director Sarah Reeves and the CSWD Board of Commissioners made the decision to leave the parcel undisturbed and move forward with finding an alternative location in Chittenden County to site the facility.
NEXT STEPS
- Identify a new site for the new MRF. CSWD will likely have to purchase property for the project. This added cost could be mitigated through savings potentially gained with site design and existing infrastructure, depending on the site.
- Review and revise the design plans for the new MRF to adjust to the new site’s specifications.
- Obtain permits for the new location.
TIMELINE
- Contingent on a new site being secured by the end of the calendar year, construction will begin in the spring, making early 2026 our new target for commissioning the new Materials Recycling Facility.
Benefits of New MRF
- Modern Technology – Efficiently separates recyclables.
- Increased Capacity – Processes 40% more material, accommodating population growth and weatherproof storage.
- Green Benefits – Reduces greenhouse gas emissions and conserves resources.
- Adaptable Design – Handles evolving packaging trends, ensuring removal of more materials from the waste stream. Maintains current employment levels in an upgraded, environmentally enhanced facility.
- Education Center – Learn about recycling and watch it in action from a viewing platform.
Current vs New MRF Comparison
Construction Partners
- Design, Permitting & Construction Oversite – AES Northeast with subcontractors: Dubois & King; G. Tim Stone Consulting; Waite Design & Engineering; Krebs & Lansing; VIS Construction Consultants
- Processing Equipment – Bulk Handling Systems (BHS)
- Construction – ReArch Company
Bid Information
No open bids.
MRF in the News
11.8.2022 New MRF Bond Passes With Overwhelming Support
“When it comes to conserving natural resources, Vermonters step up to do what’s right. The new MRF will be more efficient and effective, providing meaningful environmental benefits and reducing Vermont’s carbon footprint…. With this new MRF we look forward to helping Vermonters recycle better and more over the decades to come.” –Sarah Reeves, CSWD Executive Director
