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Warren County committee reviews hauling, compost pilot and recycling options as summer season approaches
Summary
County solid-waste staff told the Public Works Committee they have enough drivers to keep up with current hauling, have begun retiring damaged containers for scrap revenue, received state contract paperwork for a pilot food-scrap compost program and are exploring pay-by-weight scales and a cardboard recycling pilot to capture revenue.
Warren County solid-waste staff updated the Public Works Committee on hauling operations, the newly cleared state contract for a food-scrap compost pilot and early plans to pilot higher-value recyclable collection, committee members heard.
The update outlined current hauling capacity and short-term steps to smooth the transition as the county takes on expanded transfer-station responsibilities for several towns. County staff reported two full-time drivers and a part-time driver are in place and that crews have completed about 350 hauls since January, with the department expecting roughly 50 runs a month heading into the summer busy season.
Committee members were told towns should notify county haulers when containers are full to avoid extra stops. Staff said a single stop to swap and set containers can add roughly 15–20 minutes to a run and that standardizing drop-and-pick procedures will improve routing efficiency.
The county has begun removing irreparable containers from storage and sending them for scrap. Revenue from those scrap sales will be used to buy newer backup containers so transfer stations can limit downtime when a container needs replacement.
On composting, staff said they recently received the state contract paperwork for the county’s food-scrap compost pilot and will route the contract to the county attorney and board chair for signature. The working group that planned the pilot remains active and will revisit the original work plan and budget and advance the next steps in implementation.
Staff also flagged pending changes to New York State rules for large generators that will affect where businesses must send organics: the speakers said the current standard applies to generators producing 2 tons per week within 25 miles of an accepting facility, that standard is expected to tighten to 1 ton within 50 miles in 2027 and to 0.5 ton within 50 miles in 2029. Committee members discussed how a small pilot facility and a growing private sector could affect local capacity and business decisions.
The committee discussed longer-term options to change customer behavior at transfer stations, including pay-by-weight systems and installing scales. Staff cited examples where towns that installed scales recovered the cost within about a year and suggested early adopters could share best practices with others.
On recycling, the county’s working group recently applied for an EPA grant and is pursuing smaller pilots to capture higher-value materials. The group expects a proposal from Replenish, a broker/partner that could lease equipment and help the county pilot corrugated cardboard recovery at transfer stations; staff noted corrugated cardboard (for example, undegraded Amazon shipping boxes) retains market value, while other mixed or soiled cardboard is less valuable.
Committee members asked staff to continue coordinating with towns and the working group while the county ramps up operations and the compost pilot moves into the contract and implementation phase.
The committee did not take a formal vote on any of the solid-waste agenda items during the discussion.
