Act 148

Act 148: What is it And Why Does it Matter?

In 2012, the Vermont Legislature unanimously passed the Universal Recycling Law (Act 148), which bans three major categories of materials from Vermonters’ trash bins: (1) food scraps and food residuals, (2) leaf/yard debris and clean wood, and (3) “Blue Bin” recyclabes. was passed unanimously by the Vermont Legislature in 2012.

The law was implemented in phases, starting in 2014 and came into full effect in July, 2020. 

Why Universal Recycling?

Almost half of what Vermonters throw away could be diverted from landfills, and half of this is organic material. The vision of the Coalition is to divert food and organic materials that would otherwise be wasted and convert them into a valuable resource to support out local food system.