School Spotlight: Sustainability Academy Explores Careers in Waste & Composting with CSWD

On a rainy May morning, CSWD staff welcomed 28 second‑graders from Burlington’s Sustainability Academy to the Williston Drop‑Off Center and Green Mountain Compost facilities.

The students arrived with a clear mission: research local jobs by interviewing the people who do them. One role they chose to investigate was “garbage collector,” so our School Outreach Coordinator, ‘Recycle’ Rhonda Mace hosted a series of tours and interviews showcasing the many careers involved in managing the county’s waste and materials.

At the Williston Drop‑Off Center, the students met Ryan Cota, a welder and truck driver here at CSWD, who explained the day‑to‑day work of the maintenance and Drop‑Off Center teams. He described how materials brought to the site are sorted and directed to their next destinations: the transfer station and landfill, Green Mountain Compost for soil production, or the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) for processing into new products. Staff highlighted how different roles require different skills, from commercial driver’s licenses and equipment training to public education and site management.

Half the class dug into the technical details with staff, while the other half toured the Drop‑Off Center. They learned that the site accepts nearly 20 material types and where each load goes after leaving the center.

The group then walked up Redmond Road to the Organics Recycling Facility, home of Green Mountain Compost, to see how food scraps become compost. Students observed composting operations, learned how equipment like windrow turners speeds up processing, and heard how the program has shifted from bagging multiple soil products to focusing on three wholesale products — a change that allows staff to concentrate on composting and keep more food scraps out of the landfill.

The visit offered a hands‑on look at the variety of careers that keep Chittenden County’s materials moving and highlighted the real impact of local waste and composting operations.

“We have visited a handful of jobs, but this has by far been the best experience… despite the rain.” ~Ricki S.- 2^nd grade teacher