Media Release March 5, 2023
Media Release
March 5, 2023
Town of Geneva
For further information contact Supervisor Mark Venuti, 315-759-0122, supervisor@townofgeneva.com
The days of cheap landfilling are coming to an end. The Ontario County landfill is expected to close at the end of 2028 and the Town of Geneva wants to be ready. The Town is exploring expanding and relocating its Recycling and Disposal Station to help residents reduce waste, and is currently working with Cornell University’s Design Connect team on a plan. The current station, located at 32 White Springs Rd, shares space with the Town Highway and Water and Sewer Departments and limits the operations of these vital services, so an expansion of the station cannot happen at this site.
In 2022, the “Geneva Joint Working Group on Waste and Materials Management” was charged by the City of Geneva Green Committee and the Town of Geneva Sustainability Committee to identify ways to reduce the financial impact of the landfill’s closure while improving environmental stewardship and materials management. The Working Group produced a report with recommendations for the City and Town that can be found on the Town’s web site. Upgrading the Town’s transfer station was one of the top priorities and presents opportunities to address some of the other recommendations of the Working Group, which are:
- Expanding food waste reduction and diversion
- Expanding retail outlets for secondhand items
- Upgrading and transforming transfer stations
- Expanding engagement with schools, health care facilities, and other institutions
- Updating requirements for hauling and assisting with training
- Advocating for more aggressive state and local policies
- Exploring new waste disposal/transformation technologies
The Town has over 10 acres of available land behind the town hall, stretching to NY Route 14A, as a potential site for an upgraded transfer station. Additionally, a pickup system is being considered to reach community members who live at the farther extents of the Town to expand services to residents.
An upgraded station could allow the co-location of reuse initiatives, recycling, food scrap collection, and waste consolidation, all in a central facility. Reuse of materials would be prioritized in this system, followed by recycling or composting, with waste as a last resort. Upgrading the transfer station could help minimize the amount of waste that residents have to pay to dispose of, recover valuable materials, keep economic benefits within the community, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Supervisor Mark Venuti and Sustainability Coordinator Jacob Fox are working with Design Connect, an interdisciplinary, student-run design organization at Cornell University, to create a plan for the proposed upgrade. Participating in Design Connect provides students with practical experience and partners like the Town of Geneva with low-cost, viable design and planning services. The materials generated by Design Connect will be used to seek grant funding for the initiative. Students will actively engage local government and the community at large to ensure the design reflects a broad range of perspectives. Design Connect’s recommendations will be presented in May of 2023.
The Town and Design Connect want to hear your thoughts! Please consider filling out this material management survey (http://bit.ly/townofgenevasurvey) by Monday March 20th and consider joining Design Connect in person on March 25th at the current Town Transfer Station (32 White Springs, Rd.) to review some of the ideas and share some of your own.
Scan this QR code to take the material management survey!
Photo of Sustainability Coordinator Jacob Fox and Cornell University Design Connect Team at the current Town Transfer Station during a site visit in February 2023