The New Paltz transfer station received a 10 year lease from the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency, allowing them to remain open on the town-owned property at 3 Clearwater Road.
The station is one of two in Ulster County and between the two, they are responsible for 1,140 square miles, 181,791 people and 24 municipalities. After the New York State Legislation allowed for the creation of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency, the towns were no longer individually responsible for their own solid waste and recyclable management, but it was up to the agency to apply a county-wide materials management program.
According to the New York State Solid Waste Management Plan, there are objectives followed such as reducing the amount of solid waste in New York State, reusing material that would generally not be reusable and generating energy from solid waste. It is also to the benefit of the agency to promote education and outreach that encourage reducing, reusing, recycling and composting portions of the existing solid waste stream.
The Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency states that due to the promotion of conserving wastes for better good, the current recycling rate is 41 percent. New Paltz has recently adopted a zero-waste action plan in order to remove reusable materials from the mainstream waste program that would not allow for the recreation of materials into other forms of energy.
The transfer station at New Paltz allows anyone including contractors, residents or businesses to bring their waste as long as it is larger than two cubic yards and has a tarp. By keeping this station open to the village of New Paltz and other surrounding towns, “trash, garbage, and recyclables of all sorts are kept out of the village streets, keeping it clean and environmentally sustainable” as said by Village Board Liaison, Tom Rocco.
He says the transfer station is “a happy and well run operation for that village” and also mentions that his grandchildren love to spend a day there when they come up to visit. He encourages everyone to go and learn about how beneficial recycling is to local villages as well as the planet as a whole.
“The transfer station is a repository for trash all throughout the area,” Rocco said. “Without it, trash would go elsewhere and in order to dispose of trash, you’d need to travel further, which would not be practical”.
Along with the transfer stations, the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency offers various other services. These services include recycling of materials at the agency’s Recycling Center, the recycling of electronic devices, household hazardous wastes and compost.
With the lease allowing the transfer station to remain open, the agency will be able to promote a steady community of recycling and encourage locals to participate in the building of a healthier and cleaner village through the practice of recycling and reusing materials instead of disposing of them entirely.