- The state produces more trash than it can handle, with 640,000 tons sent out of state in 2023.
- The trash problem has been exacerbated by the closure of the state’s largest waste incinerator in 2022.
Just three years after closing the state’s largest waste incinerator, Connecticut officials are still searching for a way to deal with the massive amount of trash produced by residents each day. The state’s trash problem has only grown since the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) stopped burning trash to create electricity and ash. Now, trash is being shipped hundreds of miles away to landfills in Pennsylvania and Ohio, causing ecological damage and costing residents through taxes and collection fees.
Escalating Costs
The state’s municipalities and haulers are facing rising rates to ship trash beyond its borders, with costs passed on to residents through taxes and collection fees. Connecticut residents are being charged a premium for their trash, with the cost of shipping trash out of state increasing by 41% in 2023.
DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes stated that “It is escalating and it’s going to escalate over time.” She emphasized the need for urgent action to find a solution to the crisis, as developing new programs and solutions to replace the disposal capacity provided by MIRA will take time.
A New Plan?
State lawmakers have been trying to pass a long-term solution to the trash problem, but so far, they have been unsuccessful. Two years ago, a proposal to charge cities and towns up to $5 for every ton of trash they ship out of state was met with opposition. Instead, lawmakers settled on a plan to authorize up to $500 million in bonding to build new waste-to-energy facilities, but the money remains unspent.
This year, House Bill 6917 proposes a new approach, charging a fee of $1.50 per ton of waste shipped out of state. The bill also removes language that diverts up to $2.8 million collected each year from existing waste-to-energy fees into the state’s general fund. Instead, all the money would go to a sustainable materials management account to fund local waste-reduction projects.
Critics Weigh In
Environmental advocates, waste haulers, and recyclers have criticized the legislation, arguing that adding fees won’t serve as an incentive to handle trash in-state if there’s nowhere to put it. The state has no permanent, active landfills accepting household trash, and critics argue that a plan should come before funding a solution.
“It’s like trying to collect money,” said Brian O’Connor, director of public policy for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. “We need to have a plan first, and then we can talk about funding that plan.”
Pilot Programs
Despite the challenges, some local grant-funded programs have shown promise in reducing waste and promoting recycling. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has awarded $15 million in grants to nine municipalities to fund infrastructure projects related to recycling and composting.
Some examples of pilot programs include a new $3.3 million sorting facility in New Haven, which will distribute colored, biodegradable trash bags to residents to collect compostable materials. Another program in Manchester will collect food waste and send it to a digester facility to produce biogas.
A Longer View
State Rep. Mary Mushinsky compared the current crisis to the situation in the late 1980s, when Connecticut implemented a mandatory recycling law and built its network of waste-to-energy facilities. She believes that with the right funding and education, Connecticut can again handle its trash and reduce its reliance on out-of-state landfills.
“It’s not rocket science, you just need money to do it,” she said. “By expanding the fee to trash shipped out of state and using it to fund compost and recycling programs, Connecticut can reach a point where it can handle whatever trash is left over.”
A Holistic Approach
Some officials overseeing municipal waste say that local grant-funded programs are not enough to address the full scale of the state’s waste issues. Jennifer Heaton-Jones, executive director of western Connecticut’s Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority, called for a more holistic approach to addressing the issue, including better education campaigns, requiring towns to offer access to food scrap diversion programs, and expanding capacity to handle waste locally.
“This is about residents of the state of Connecticut changing their behavior and making better decisions about material management,” she said.
A Study on Extended Producer Responsibility
The bill also requires DEEP to study the feasibility of a proposal to make manufacturers of consumer packaging pay for some or all of the costs of handling that material once it’s thrown away, a concept known as extended producer responsibility. While the study has drawn objections from waste haulers and recyclers, officials say it’s a necessary step to address the state’s waste problems.
“The big picture is we’re just continuing to move this conversation forward,” said state Rep. John-Michael Parker.
Trash Talk: Connecticut Struggles to Handle Waste
Connecticut’s trash problem has only grown since the closure of the state’s largest waste incinerator in 2022. The state produces more trash than it can handle, with 640,000 tons sent out of state in 2023. Officials are still searching for a way to deal with the massive amount of trash produced by residents each day.
Despite the challenges, some local grant-funded programs have shown promise in reducing waste and promoting recycling. The state is exploring new approaches to address the issue, including expanding the fee to trash shipped out of state and using it to fund compost and recycling programs.
However, critics argue that a plan should come before funding a solution, and that the state needs a more holistic approach to addressing the issue.