Latest Posts

The 5W’s of Sustainable Materials Management

March 7, 2024 | Published by Julie Buchanan

What is sustainable materials management? Sustainable materials management is a systematic approach to using and reusing materials more productively over their life cycles. The emphasis is not only on using less, but on using materials to their fullest extent. The concept may sound complex, but it doesn’t have to be. The graphic above depicts one version of a sustainable materials management hierarchy, which ranks strategies from most to least environmentally... Read More

Recycling Behind-the-Scenes: Audit Shows Materials Collected on Three Routes in a Single Day

March 7, 2024 | Published by Adam Girard

As the CVWMA Recycling Coordinator, part of my job is to keep up with what Central Virginians are throwing in their recycling carts. One way to do this is to observe occasional recycling audits at the material recovery facility (aka “the MRF”). This is the place where everything from your cart goes once it’s collected. On Feb. 23, 2024, I headed down to Chester, Virginia, to observe one of these... Read More

Central Virginia Recycled 57.7% of its Solid Waste in 2022

February 23, 2024 | Published by Julie Buchanan

The Central Virginia region recycled 606,497 tons, or 57.7%, of its solid waste in 2022, according to information gathered by the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority. The authority is required annually to compile the regional recycling rate and submit a report to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The region comprises the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg and Richmond, the town of Ashland, and the counties of Charles City,... Read More

Batteries Power Modern Life. Know How to Manage Their End of Life.

February 17, 2024 | Published by Julie Buchanan

Batteries are such a part of our lives that they have their own day on the calendar. February 18 is National Battery Day. Each U.S. household contains an average of 8.4 devices that run on rechargeable batteries. Perhaps the most popular is the lithium-ion battery found in our smartphones, laptops, tablets, toys and other devices. Lithium-ion batteries store a large amount of energy in a small space. When these batteries... Read More

What Do You Love About Recycling?

February 14, 2024 | Published by Julie Buchanan

For Valentine’s Day, we asked our newsletter subscribers what they love about recycling. We received 116 responses. Here are some of our favorites: James, Colonial Heights: Peace of mind knowing less waste going into landfills, and material is being reused. Marcus, Henrico: I love that I get to reduce my carbon footprint, reduce my contribution to the landfill, reduce the amount of waste I produce, and I love that it... Read More

Beyond the Bin: Rethinking Waste Management in a Landfill-Limited City

February 9, 2024 | Published by Elizabeth Hall

Elizabeth Hall represents the City of Richmond on the CVWMA Board of Directors. This article was part of a series that appeared on RVAHub.  Did you know that recycling is the fifth most preferred option for materials management? There are several ways CVWMA encourages managing your potential waste before sending it to the recyclers. Here’s how you can help cut down on items filling up our landfills. Photo: City of... Read More

A Small Church With Much To Give

January 22, 2024 | Published by Julie Buchanan

The Clothes Closet at Biltmore Baptist Church provides free clothing to those who need it. Gently used clothing can be placed in a box in the parking lot anytime of day or night. Biltmore Baptist Church in Glen Allen is diverting thousands of usable items from landfills through its mission to feed and clothe people in need. In 2023, the church Clothes Closet alone gave away an estimated 50,000 pounds of... Read More

Want To Go Plastic-Free? These Richmonders Published A Book To Help You.

January 22, 2024 | Published by Julie Buchanan

Jacob Sequeira and Kassidy Coleman of Richmond, Virginia, are A Better Impact. The married couple combines their creative talents to share their journey to a more eco-friendly lifestyle. They recently published their second book, “Pretty Much Plastic-Free.” It’s packed with hope for the future and realistic tips regular people can follow. CVWMA emailed A Better Impact some questions about the new project. Q: Why did you decide to focus on... Read More

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

December 24, 2023 | Published by Julie Buchanan

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the town, Not a bit of recycling was left on the ground; The carts were lined up at every curbside, In hopes that a green truck soon would arrive; The Amazon boxes lay flat in the bins, While plastic bottles and cans were rinsed clean for the win; And mamma in her yoga pants, and I in my sweats, Had just settled... Read More

Holidays to Delay CVWMA Collections By One Day

December 20, 2023 | Published by Julie Buchanan

RICHMOND, VA — CVWMA recycling and trash collections will be delayed during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s. There will be no collection on Monday, Dec. 25, or Monday, Jan. 1. All collections will slide to the following day, with Friday collections moving to Saturday both weeks. The 2024 CVWMA curbside recycling calendar is available at www.cvwma.com/calendar. Residents are also encouraged to use recycling drop-off sites. More information about drop-off recycling... Read More
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