Staunton outlines pilots to divert compost and cigarette waste, expands public education

Josh Knight, presenting for the city, told the Staunton City Council on June 25 that staff are pursuing targeted pilot programs and operational changes to reduce what the city sends to landfill. He said the city is aiming for two small composting bins at the recycling center and a cigarette‑butt recycling pilot managed through Terracycle, funded from a $15,000 set‑aside for pilots. "Starting with two bins funded from the $15,000 set aside," Knight said, "the hope is that we'll have this in place by August and better hours for people to be able to do it."

Knight described efforts to "optimize the logistics at the recycling center," including replacing aging trucks and reducing collection frequency for certain materials to cut hauling costs. He said staff learned "it takes about a year to get a new trash truck these days," and that reducing collection runs for plastics could save the city roughly $3,500–$4,000 a month once a replacement vehicle is in service.

Public education and clearer signage were central to Knight's plan. He outlined an existing web‑based "waste wizard" and a tonnage dashboard on the city's website, and said staff will use social media, water‑bill inserts and on‑site magnets and signage to clarify common confusions — for example, identifying #1 (clear) versus #2 (darker) plastics. Knight said volunteers, including students, might staff the site during peak Saturday hours to reduce contamination.

Council members asked about staffing and contamination risk; Knight said public works and the recycling center manager will be closely involved and that staff prefer to start small, test the approach and expand if contamination remains low. The presentation did not propose regulatory changes or new fees; it outlined pilot logistics, expected timing and communications.

Next steps: staff will finalize locations and schedules for the compost and cigarette‑butt pilots, refine signage and web content, and report back as the pilots launch in early August.