Cobb County lays out sustainability roadmap, warns county has no active landfills

At a public Cobb County forum on sustainability, Chairwoman Lisa Cupid and Kimberly White, the county’s chief sustainability officer, described a plan of recycling expansions, electric-vehicle infrastructure and community programs while warning that Cobb has no active landfills and depends on out-of-county disposal.

Kimberly White, chief sustainability officer, said the office — formed in 2023 and staffed with nine people across four units — is focusing on a sustainability strategic plan, electric-vehicle infrastructure and a local “mini charm center” for hard-to-recycle items. "Pretty much that's what I do. I make sure that we all survive," White said during the presentation.

Why it matters: county officials said Georgia faces a national shortage in landfill capacity and that the state is at the low end of estimates for remaining municipal solid-waste space. White told the audience that research showed about 30 years of landfill space remains in Georgia and that "every single piece of trash that we throw away in this county gets transported outside of the county." Chairwoman Lisa Cupid added that some out-of-county disposal has in the past required shipments as far as Alabama, increasing greenhouse-gas emissions and costs.

Key programs and funding

- Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG): White said Cobb County received "over a half million dollars" from an EECBG award to support three priorities: build a sustainability strategic plan, update EV infrastructure and deploy a mobile, solar-powered EV charging station. The county also used grant funds to repair and reactivate public EV chargers.

- Recycling and the hefty renew program: White reviewed the county’s work with private partners and…