REGION — Counties throughout New York State are facing a solid-waste crisis, but the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) is ready to fight back with a groundbreaking initiative: the Reuse Pathway for Zero Waste and Economic Resilience (RePØWER) project.

This isn’t just about better recycling; it’s about redesigning the whole waste system. The way we currently make, move and dispose of stuff accounts for a massive 12 percent of our region’s climate footprint. In Ulster County alone, nearly 265,000 tons of waste were generated in 2023, and despite our best efforts, only 27 percent of that garbage gets recycled or composted.

That means 140,000 tons of waste must be landfilled each year. Since there are only a few landfills in the state that can handle those quantities, and none of them are local, UCRRA dispatches over 4,000 tractor-trailers annually, hauling waste 240 miles to the Seneca Meadows landfill. This transport costs the county $14 million per year and contributes a staggering 87,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (MTC02e) in climate-warming emissions.

That’s where RePØWER steps in. It’s UCRRA’s first major venture into creating a more circular local economy, building a crucial “reuse pathway” for materials that still have residual value and don’t belong in the landfill.

The hub and the spokes: Building a reuse network

The core of RePØWER is a network of physical sites. At the center is the Reuse Innovation Center (RIC), or the Hub, located in the Kingston area. The RIC will be a central collection site and warehouse, handling donated items, diverting materials from UCRRA’s waste stream, and managing deconstruction and salvaged materials. Crucially, it will be a retail store, wholesale clearinghouse and an incubator for new reuse businesses.

Extending the reach across the county are the 19 community-based satellite facilities—the “Spokes”—which utilize existing municipally owned sites for collection. This decentralized network ensures that reusable goods are kept out of the landfill system from the start.

Beyond the physical sites, RePØWER focuses on fostering the region’s growing reuse economy. UCRRA plans to host events and support the development of new reuse businesses. For those interested in fixing things, the RIC will offer access to a tool library for repair cafés and educational classes. The project also aims to promote sustainable building practices by training contractors on deconstruction methods to increase profitability and decrease waste, facilitating the wholesale sale of salvaged building materials to contractors.

Implementing the regional roadmap

RePØWER isn’t just a local fix; it’s a direct response to the goals outlined in the Hudson Valley Regional Climate Action Roadmap (Roadmap). The roadmap calls on local waste agencies to redesign their systems to make circularity the new normal through systemic reuse, up-cycling, and recycling.

By creating the RePØWER Hub-and-Spoke system, UCRRA is actively building the decentralized collection infrastructure called for in the Roadmap. Furthermore, the regional strategy specifically promotes repair and reuse businesses and encourages groups like the Repair Café of the Hudson Valley and Catskills. RePØWER directly implements this by convening new reuse businesses and supporting repair cafés. It also contributes to the Roadmap’s goal of using sustainable building materials, such as those with high recycled content, by promoting the reuse and sale of salvaged materials.

The path to launch

To bring the project to life, UCRRA has already taken the first steps. Last month, the agency hired a new reuse coordinator to spearhead the RePØWER project. Next, UCCRA will select the location for the RIC hub facility. And alongside these first steps to get the program going, UCRRA is also securing funding and financing to support a multi-year startup phase of the program. 

Rather than running the physical facilities on its own, UCRRA is preparing to issue a request for proposals to identify experienced reuse organizations that will operate the RIC. To support the chosen operator, UCRRA expects to provide startup funding in the form of subsidized rent, donated materials and direct financial support. 

When RePØWER hits its stride, the environmental impact will be significant. The project aims to divert 32,000 tons of waste over 10 years, aligning with UCRRA’s long-term goal to divert 90 percent of waste from landfills by 2050. This diversion is expected to avoid over 17,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year, proving that making the old new again is one of the best ways to fight climate change.

Tim Weidemann is the coordinator of performance and development for the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency.