SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Ontario County has unveiled a draft 10-year Local Solid Waste Management Plan (LSWMP) aimed at significantly boosting recycling, reuse, repair, and composting as it prepares for the planned closure of its landfill in Seneca in 2028, after 55 years of operation.
The revised plan, submitted to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in December, emphasizes long-term sustainability, waste diversion, and environmental responsibility through 2035. The county expects feedback from DEC later this quarter, after which the document will be finalized.
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Prepared by Barton & Loguidice with support from the county’s Department of Sustainability and Solid Waste Management, the plan outlines strategies to reduce landfill dependence, manage diverse waste streams, and establish realistic recycling targets. It also highlights challenges caused by volatile recycling markets and rising operational costs.
Following landfill closure, non-recoverable waste will be transported to out-of-county disposal facilities, including potential sites in Monroe, Erie, Steuben, and Seneca counties. The plan also underscores the need for substantial infrastructure investment and transfer station upgrades.
Additionally, the LSWMP addresses compliance with New York’s new Food Scrap Recycling Law, identifying 11 large generators in the county required to donate surplus food and recycle organic waste, further strengthening regional sustainability efforts.