A solid waste plan will be among the topics discussed at Henry County’s 3 p.m. regular session, Tuesday, at the Administrative Building.
The solid waste plan, if approved, would satisfy the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s requirement for local governments to have and maintain a plan for solid waste.
The regional plan encompasses Henry County, Martinsville and Ridgeway. The plan identifies Henry County, which includes Ridgeway, as having a population of 48,449 in 2025 and Martinsville with a population of 13,217.
Both population figures are expectations for 2025. Between now and 2045, both the county and the city are expected to have fewer residents, according to the plan, with each having a respective 2045 population of 41,182 and 11,336.
“The 2020 population is provided by the U.S. Census Bureau,” reads part of the study. “The population for the interim years (2025) and projected years (2030, 2035, 2040 and 2045) are obtained from Weldon Cooper Center for the city, county, and region.”
“The Plan outlines the long-term strategy and goals set by the three entities concerning solid waste management and requires review and update every five years,” reads information from the county. “The Plan outlines objectives for the management of solid wastes, including source reduction, reuse, recycling, resource recovery (waste-to-energy), landfilling and transfer stations.”
Currently, composting is not among the waste services offered in the regional plan.
“Unfortunately, based on the local and regional markets, it is currently not cost-effective for the city and the County to recycle textiles, glass, electronics (except for those sited above), and abandoned automobiles,” reads part of the plan. “The City and County will continue to investigate the local and regional markets to determine if a cost-effective method of recycling these materials becomes available.”
Charlotte, North Carolina-based LaBella Associates helped create the plan, which prioritizes recycling and resource recovery, among other goals.
Last year, construction-related waste accounted for 39% of the total waste, while residential and commercial waste made up 34%. Recyclables made up 14%.
“The City of Martinsville and Henry County are continually investigating markets and providing recycling services to residents and businesses, as economically feasible based on the available recycle/reuse markets,” reads part of the study.
