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Ulster County launches zero-waste stakeholder survey; solid-waste team reports compost and HHW progress
Summary
A consultant-led zero-waste stakeholder survey opened June 26 with a July 26 deadline; county staff outlined outreach plans and presented updates on compost availability, household hazardous waste events and renewable-energy project procurement.
Ulster County officials told the Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Committee they released a stakeholder survey on June 26 to inform a draft zero-waste policy and guidance document. The survey, developed with a consultant and funded with $1,900 for expanded outreach, will remain open through July 26.
Director Ryder said the consultant has provided draft documents and the survey will inform revisions; the county will promote the survey through the legislative website, a QR code on the livestream and social media. Ryder noted the survey targets a wide stakeholder group and that community responses will shape the final guidance.
On solid-waste operations, staff reported the county remains constrained on bulk screened compost (about 250 tons screened) but expects to open sales in the next month and continues to offer bagged compost online. The department hosted a household hazardous waste collection that served 285 residents and reported a year-to-date increase in participation compared with 2025.
Staff also briefed the committee on procurement-level developments: revised pricing from Global Energy has improved project feasibility for the Global NRG project and the team is preparing options for a board-level go/no-go decision; a repower project search for a single large reuse site remains challenging and staff are considering splitting functions across multiple smaller sites.
Committee members asked about outreach to the media and the county’s public-relations channels; staff said they will work with the executive office to boost promotion and consider paid advertising to improve response rates. The committee agreed to continue promoting the survey and review consultant feedback after the July 26 deadline.
