Regional Waste Authority Study

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Overview

RiverCOG Regional Waste Authority Study

RiverCOG is conducting a regional study to better understand how waste and recycling services operate across our 17 towns. The goal is to identify opportunities to improve coordination, efficiency, and long-term sustainability for waste and recycling systems across the region.

This page serves as the central hub for the project, where you can learn about the study, review findings, and find ways to participate.

Staff Assisting Residents at Killingworth Transfer Station

About the Study

The Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments (RiverCOG) represents 17 towns across the Lower Connecticut River Valley:

With funding from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), RiverCOG is evaluating how waste and recycling programs currently operate across the region and exploring opportunities for communities to work together more effectively.

As part of this effort, the study is examining several key areas, including:

Waste and recycling system performance

Access and convenience for residents

Opportunities to reduce recycling contamination

Options for hard-to-recycle materials

Future infrastructure needs

Opportunities to improve efficiency and manage costs

East Hampton
Essex
Haddam
Killingworth
Lyme
Middlefield

Chester
Clinton
Cromwell
Deep River
Durham
East Haddam

Middletown
Old Lyme
Old Saybrook
Portland
Westbrook

Baseline Assessment Report

he Baseline Assessment Report represents the first phase of the Regional Waste Authority Study. It provides an overview of how waste and recycling systems currently operate across RiverCOG communities and highlights early findings related to service levels, infrastructure, and program performance.

These findings will help guide the next phase of the study, where potential strategies and partnership opportunities will be explored.

Click Here to Read the Baseline Assessment Report

Why Community Input Matters

Community feedback has played an important role in this study. Input from residents, businesses, and local stakeholders helps RiverCOG better understand how waste and recycling programs work in practice.

Your feedback helps RiverCOG:

Identify service gaps and challenges

Understand community priorities

Highlight programs that are working well

Inform recommendations for future improvements

The community survey for this project has now closed, but community perspectives continue to help inform the study’s findings and future recommendations.

About the Study

Description

RiverCOG is taking a closer look at how waste and recycling services operate across the region today to understand where residents and businesses experience challenges, what resources are available, and where towns might benefit from working together. Today, each town manages its own system – often with different haulers, contracts, and collection schedules – which can make coordination and data sharing difficult. As part of this, we are exploring whether forming a Regional Waste Authority (RWA), joining an existing RWA, or creating a more integrated local network between our towns, could help improve efficiency, reduce costs, and expand consistent access to these vital services.

The study was launched in April 2025 and will continue through fall 2026, with technical support provided by RRS and HDR.

Clinton Transfer Station

Project Scope:

How trash, recycling, and organics are collected across the 17 RiverCOG municipalities
Convenience, cost, and access to services
Drop-off programs (HHW, bulky waste, e-waste, etc.)
Opportunities for collaboration or shared services between towns
Options to improve program consistency

Why RiverCOG is Doing This:

Local programs can be confusing and vary from town to town
Costs are increasing and infrastructure is aging
New state policies and market changes are emerging
Current system is not sustainable in the long run
Sharing services could improve efficiency and stability

Project Timeline

This study launched in winter 2025 and will continue through fall 2026. During this time, RiverCOG and its partners are collecting data, gathering public input, and exploring different ways that towns can work together to improve waste and recycling services.

Project Team

RiverCOG Staff
Janice Ehlemeyer

Marcos Gonzalez

Consultant

Kristen Wieland, RRS

Jessica Lally, HDR

Get Involved

Your feedback plays an important role in this study. RiverCOG is gathering input from residents, businesses, and other community members to help understand what’s working well today and where waste and recycling services could be easier to use, more consistent, or more accessible.

Take the Survey

The survey takes about 7 minutes and can be completed on a computer or mobile device. Responses are kept anonymously and will be used to help shape potential options for towns to consider.

TAKE THE SURVEY NOW

Watch the Initial Findings Presentation

RiverCOG will share early study findings during an online presentation. This session will cover key themes from the baseline assessment, what we’re learning so far from community input, and next steps in the study process.

WATCH THE RECORDING NOW

Stay Updated

As the study progresses, this page will be updated with:

Presentation recordings
Workshop summaries
Additional opportunities to provide feedback

Documents

This page includes materials related to RiverCOG’s regional waste and recycling study. Documents will be added as the project progresses.

These resources provide additional background on current programs, data, and the options towns may consider moving forward.

Project Documents

Presentations & Recordings

What We're Learning So Far

As part of this study, RiverCOG has completed a baseline assessment of how trash, recycling, organics, and other materials are currently managed across the region. This provides a snapshot of today’s programs, infrastructure, and service patterns and helps to identify areas where towns may benefit from collaboration. You can view the full baseline report below.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE BASELINE ASSESSMENT REPORT PDF

Regional Snapshot

17 towns across the RiverCOG region
174,983 residents across 424 square miles
142,131 tons of material managed in FY 2023
22% diversion rate (materials recycled, composted, or otherwise diverted from landfill)
65% of waste is landfilled out of state
Average disposal cost ranges from $111-$140 per ton

How Residents Receive Service

Due to the current system’s fragmentation, town operating budgets range significantly based on the level of services provided, contracts for collection and disposal, fees charged to residents, and alternative funding sources. To put this into perspective, the average cost per household ranges from $28.00-$222.00 depending on the town.

Approximately 85-90% of RiverCOG residents bring trash and recyclables to one of the region’s 15 town-operated transfer stations, which serve as the primary drop-off point for waste, recycling, and yard materials.

Only about 10-15% of households receive municipal curbside trash and recycling collection. Old Lyme and parts of Middletown are the only communities who offer this service.

The remaining households hire private haulers individually, and service availability varies from town to town. Private hauler curbside collection costs typically range from about $25-$38 per month for weekly trash and every-other-week recycling service, depending on location and hauler.

Yard & Food Waste

While yard and food waste operations vary across all RiverCOG towns, nearly all transfer stations accept yard waste, and several communities manage small-scale composting or food scrap programs through partners such as Blue Earth Compost.

Food scraps collected by Blue Earth Compost are delivered to Quantum Biopower’s anaerobic digester (AD), where energy and compost products are generated.

According to 2023 DEEP datasets, local Connecticut farms manage approximately 17% of the region’s yard waste, with the remainder being managed by town transfer stations on site (78%), WeCare Denali (less than 1%), and Scott’s Earthgro (2%).

According to fiscal year 2023 DEEP datasets, Quantum BioPower only receives approximately 1% of the region’s food waste. Another private partner operating in this space includes Bright Feeds who convert food waste into animal feed. Based in Berlin, CT, Bright Feeds accepts a small amount (less than 1%) of the region’s food waste according to fiscal year 2023 DEEP datasets. Alternative partnerships can be found in East Haddam, who currently works with Cold Spring Farm to manage its food waste.

Quantum Biopower Facility in Southington CT

Where Materials Go

Trash from most towns is processed outside of the RiverCOG Region at Reworld waste-to-energy facilities in Preston and Bristol, CT.
- 60% of the town transfer stations that provided MSW data utilize Reworld for disposal.
65% of the region’s waste ends up in out-of-state landfills (Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania)
Recyclables are processed by
- Murphy Road Recycling’s Hartford MRF and
- Casella’s Willimantic Facility

The map below shows private facilities that support current RiverCOG MSW operations.

Transfer Stations Handling RiverCOG Material, FY 2023

Key Takeaways

Waste and recycling services vary significantly between towns.
Many residents rely on drop-off systems rather than curbside service.
Organics programs are emerging but not consistent across the region.
Out-of-state landfilling highlights long-term cost and capacity challenges.
Regional coordination may help improve clarity and efficiency.

What is a Regional Waste Authority (RWA)?

A Regional Waste Authority (RWA) is a partnership between multiple towns that work together

to coordinate waste and recycling services.

Instead of each municipality managing programs independently, participating towns collaborate through a shared organization that helps plan, manage, and sometimes operate waste and recycling services across the region.

Regional waste authorities can help communities pool resources, coordinate services, and explore opportunities to improve efficiency while still allowing towns to maintain local decision-making.

Why Communities Consider Regional Waste Authorities

Waste and recycling programs currently vary from town to town across the RiverCOG region. Differences in contracts, drop-off locations, accepted materials, and program costs can sometimes make systems more complicated for residents and less efficient for municipalities.

A regional approach may help communities:

Coordinate services across multiple towns

Improve operational efficiency

Reduce duplication of services

Explore cost-saving opportunities

Plan for future waste and recycling needs together

Every community’s needs and priorities are different, and an RWA is one potential model communities can consider improving waste management systems.

Local Established RWAs

Several regional waste authorities already operate in Connecticut. Each serves multiple municipalities and provides services such as coordinating disposal contracts, managing recycling programs, or overseeing regional waste facilities.

Housatonic Resources

Recovery Authority (HRRA)

The Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority, also known as HRRA, is the regional municipal solid waste (MSW) and recycling management organization for the 14 municipalities within the Housatonic Valley.

Learn More

Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resources Recovery Authority (SCRRRA)

The SCRRRA is responsible for implementing solid waste recovery systems, recycling, and disposal services across its 12 member municipalities in Southeastern Connecticut.

Learn More

How This Relates to the RiverCOG RWA Study

The Regional Waste Authority Study explores how waste and recycling services currently operate across RiverCOG communities and whether greater coordination between towns could improve efficiency and service delivery.

A regional waste authority is one possible structure that could support collaboration among municipalities, but the study is focused on evaluating options and identifying opportunities for communities to work together.

(860) 581-8554

info@rivercog.org

Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments

Overview

RiverCOG Regional Waste Authority Study

About the Study

Baseline Assessment Report

Why Community Input Matters

About the Study

Description

Project Scope:

Why RiverCOG is Doing This:

Project Timeline

Project Team

Get Involved

Take the Survey

Watch the Initial Findings Presentation

Stay Updated

Documents

Project Documents

Presentations & Recordings

What We're Learning So Far

Regional Snapshot

How Residents Receive Service

Yard & Food Waste

Where Materials Go

Key Takeaways

What is a Regional Waste Authority (RWA)?

Why Communities Consider Regional Waste Authorities

Local Established RWAs

How This Relates to the RiverCOG RWA Study