Connecticut coalition to prioritize sustainable materials management

On Aug. 26, the Connecticut Department of Energy andEnvironmental Protection (DEEP) released a statement in conjunction with 65 Connecticut cities and towns committing to work together as part of a Connecticut Coalition for Sustainable Materials Management (CCSMM). CCSMM is a joint effort between DEEP and municipalities across the state to collectively pursue improved waste reduction strategies. 

DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes; Matt Knickerbocker, first selectman of Bethel, Connecticut; and Laura Francis, first selectman of Durham, Connecticut, will serve as co-chairs of this initiative, which aims to develop a set of waste reduction action items by the end of the year.

“The residents and businesses of Connecticut deserve a waste system that provides reliable disposal options at an affordable and predictable cost, advances our state’s leadership on sustainability and reduces adverse environmental impacts and disproportionate burdens on certain communities in our state,” a joint statement by the coalition reads. “As state and municipal leaders, we share a vision of an equitable, sustainable, affordable waste system, and are committed to advancing innovative solutions and supporting critical services needed to achieve that goal.”

According to the coalition this initiative comes at a critical time for Connecticut’s waste management sector, with waste-to-energy infrastructure like the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) Resource Recovery facility aging and potentially reaching the end of its useful life. 

The coalition says that absent the implementation of some of the waste management strategies that will be discussed by the members of this initiative, it is likely that an increased amount of the state’s municipal solid waste would be shipped out of state for landfilling. By embracing more sustainable practices as identified in the state’s Comprehensive Materials Management Strategy, such as source reduction, recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion and other conversion technologies, these materials can be instead diverted from landfill.

CCSMM will hold a kick-off meeting on Sept. 8, with the goal of developing waste reduction-related action items that can be implemented before the end of the year.

“Last month, Governor Lamont called for a new outlook regarding Connecticut’s materials management and encouraged the pursuit of innovative strategies to reduce and manage our waste. DEEP is eager to work with municipal partners and engage community leaders and stakeholders around the state. We will work to develop achievable and innovative actions we can each take that, collectively, will build a materials management system that benefits all of Connecticut in an affordable, sustainable, environmental and just fashion,” Dykes says. “Connecticut’s municipal leaders are vital to the success of this effort, and we are grateful for the enthusiastic support for this initiative and the potential for meaningful change it opens before us.”