In April of this year, Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling (UVDR) and Clover Flat Recovery Park presented a proposed pathway for a more sustainable future to the Upper Valley Waste Management Agency. The proposal included an outline for upgrading and expanding programs and facilities, largely to comply with new regulations but also to be more energy efficient and mindful of reducing UVDR’s global footprint. In order to start preparing for these changes, UVDR submitted a plan for upgrading its facilities, including:

• Converting its fleet of trucks from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG). CNG fleets and fueling stations are the new industry standard. CNG is less expensive than diesel and has a 23 percent GHG emissions reduction and the added bonus of a much quieter vehicle!
• Installing a solar farm on its Rutherford facility. An estimated 500 Kilowatts per hour of renewable power would be generated, enough to run the recycling facility six days per week.
• Expanding its composting operations to include food waste from its residential customers.
• Upgrading its wastewater treatment pond.
• Expanding its power generation plant at Clover Flat Landfill. UVDR currently returns 700 Kilowatts per hour of renewable power to the grid and hopes to expand its renewable power generation with the addition of another 1 megawatt per hour wood biomass plant.

UVDR has diverted more than 70 percent of the waste stream at Clover Flat thereby extending the landfill life to at least 2065. They plan to expand the types of materials they recycle at Clover Flat to include carpet and mattresses and increase the area dedicated for recycling. UVDR is committed to continuing its partnership with its neighbors and friends so that together they will continue to meet and achieve recycling diversion goals, expand renewable energy production, and explore new technologies for greater energy efficiency and climate change reductions.