Zero Waste initiatives in Montgomery County
Coalition members Zero Waste Montgomery County and Sugarloaf Citizen’s Association advocate for Zero Waste initiatives and waste reduction policies, including the closure of the municipal waste incinerator in Dickerson.
Please read about the County’s Zero Waste initiatives on the Department of Environmental Protection - DEP’s website.
What is Zero Waste?
“Zero Waste is the Conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of all products, packaging, and materials without burning them and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”
Zero Waste International Alliance, Version 8.0 — Last updated May 19, 2022.
Learn more at zerowasteusa.org
Montgomery County Council sessions in 2026
The Montgomery County Council is considering options for how we manage our waste disposal. The County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has presented a comprehensive and visionary waste management plan to the County Council. This plan would close the Dickerson Incinerator and end burning of nearly 600,000 tons per year of non-recyclable trash— the single largest source of pollution in the County.
Please see further information on DEP’s website and watch the recordings of the Council sessions on the Council website. Next Council session on the topic will be on October 27 (read staff report here). Watch the recording of our webinar on Oct 29 to learn more.
The closure of the incinerator will:
End the practice of dumping incinerator ash on a majority Black community in Virginia,
Implement significant waste reduction strategies like food, scrap composting countywide, and
Send our residual trash to an out-of-state landfill that meets strict environmental justice criteria, thus no longer harming the population that lives in the community.
Reach out to your Councilmember either directly or using the action alert link below to support composting and the closure of the waste incinerator: