Statewide Solid Waste and Materials Management Planning

The Commissioner of the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) is statutorily required in accordance with Section 22a-228 of the Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) to develop, adopt and amend a statewide solid waste management plan (SWMP).  This plan is the basis to guide policy decisions regarding how the state handles solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling and disposal.  Since the writing of the first plan by the State Department of Health in 1971, solid waste management has changed dramatically from mainly a state and local health issue to one that is increasingly a regional, national, and global issue. The Department has periodically updated this plan to reflect these changes and changes in markets and technology.  This webpage provides links to current and former plans.

Current Comprehensive Materials Management Strategy (2016) 

The Comprehensive Materials Management Strategy (CMMS) is a roadmap to achieving the state’s goal of 60 percent diversion of materials from disposal by 2024.  It constitutes the revised statewide Solid Waste Management Plan called for by Public Act 14-94.  Following extensive public outreach and a formal notice and comment process, the CMMS was adopted by the Commissioner in July 2016.

Statewide Solid Waste Management Plan (2006)

On December 20, 2006, the then DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy approved amendments to the state’s Solid Waste Management Plan. The amendments were comprehensive and replaced the State Solid Waste Management Plan dated 1991. The Plan examined the state of solid waste management in Connecticut; established goals and objectives; identified problems and barriers; and outlined strategies for achieving the goals. The Plan and its updates served as the basis for solid waste management planning and decision-making for a twenty year planning horizon.  

• Executive Summary and Chapters 1 through 5 (PDF)
• Appendices A through K and Acknowledgements (PDF) 
• Executive Summary & Table of Recommended Strategies, December 2006 (PDF)
• Hearing Officer’s Report Dated November 8, 2006 (PDF)
• Written comments received on the Proposed Amendment to the Solid Waste Management Plan, July 2006 (PDF) 
• Proposed Amendment to the Solid Waste Management Plan, July 2006 (PDF)

The Plan was developed in conjunction with a diverse stakeholder group. An initial public stakeholder forum was conducted in June of 2005, and an External Stakeholders Committee was formed consisting of stakeholders from government, regional solid waste management authorities, the solid waste management industry, the recycling sector, community and environmental organizations, and businesses/generators. The External Stakeholders Committee met regularly to advise the Department on the content of the Plan. The Department also established a State Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee to help guide implementation of the Plan.

The extensive public participation in the development of the 2006 plan, included a public comment period, public informational meetings, and public hearings where members of the public provided comments on the Proposed Amendments to the Solid Waste Management Plan July 2006. The Hearing Officer’s Report includes: 1) a summary of how the final amendments differ from the proposed amendments and the reasons therefore, and 2) the principal considerations raised in opposition to the proposed amendments and the reasons for rejecting any such considerations.

The Plan advocates shared responsibility for changing the balance of solid waste management and calls for a reinvigoration of efforts to transform our solid waste management system from one based mostly on disposal to one based on resource management. Everyone producing solid waste, and that includes all of us, needs to be more aware of the ramifications of actions and decisions and take more responsibility for the waste produced. We need to shift away from a "throwaway society," toward a system that promotes a reduction in the generation and toxicity of the trash we produce and dispose through increased source reduction, reuse, and recycling. We must further ensure that what waste remains, will be disposed in an efficient, equitable, and environmentally protective manner.

Achieving this vision will require everyone in Connecticut, including citizens, businesses, institutions, lawmakers, and government, to make wise decisions regarding the management of our wastes. Working together we can implement real change and make a difference. The State Solid Waste Management Plan provides the foundation for the work that must be done to best manage our solid waste in a socially, economically, and environmentally responsible manner.

For further information please contact Chris Nelson at 860-424-3454.

Content Last Updated on February 10, 2020