Congratulations Central Virginia! CVWMA’s Regional Recycling Rate @59.1% for CY 2019

February 9, 2021 | Published by Nancy Drumheller

February 9, 2021

Contact: Nancy Drumheller, Public Affairs Manager, 804-612-0557 or ndrumheller@cvwma.com

Congratulations Central Virginia! CVWMA’s Regional Recycling Rate @59.1% for CY 2019

(Richmond, VA)- Thanks to the efforts and commitment to recycling by central Virginia citizens and businesses the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) has notified Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) that its regional recycling rate has once again exceeded 55 percent! This means that an estimated 59.1 % of the waste generated in our region for Calendar Year (CY) 2019 was recycled and kept out of area landfills.

CVWMA, a cooperative government agency that coordinates recycling and other waste management programs with thirteen area local governments, compiles the annual regional recycling rate and submits the information to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. State law requires that the region recycle at least 25 percent of their waste each year.

Nearly 164,000 tons of paper-related material (newspaper, office paper and cardboard) was recycled in 2019. Yard waste and wood waste which are chipped into compost or mulch comprise another 216,562 tons recycled.  Metals, textiles, glass and plastic are also measured for the report.  Auto bodies, appliances, and assorted other metal items made up the nearly 121,107 tons of metal that were recycled in 2019.  Clothing donations to organizations such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army contribute to the textiles total of about 8,708 tons.

The trash generation figure is an estimate based on national research. The Environmental Protection Agency (Franklin Associates) estimates that citizens create an average of 4.48 pounds of trash per person per day.

The recycling rate is computed by dividing the amount recycled in the region by the amount of trash generated. The amount recycled is gathered from local and national businesses providing recycling to the area. The total amount recycled and not land filled for the region in CY 2019 was 566,737 tons.

CVWMA recycling programs include residential (curbside) collection and drop-off centers; yard waste, electronics, appliances, batteries, household hazardous waste (HHW) and tires to name a few. Residential (Curbside) recycling collects approximately 37,000 tons annually; drop-off recycling, about 7,600 tons. That is a lot of paper, bottles, cartons, and cans!

The regional rate has remained above 55 percent for the past several years, making central Virginia one of the highest recycling regions in the state. Variations in the rate are attributed to the number of businesses who provide information to CVWMA. Contributions are voluntary.

For more information on CVWMA programs, visit www.cvwma.com; CVWMA on Facebook; CVWMA on Twitter ; and CVWMA on Instagram.

 

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