By Brook Geery
Several members of the Killington Resort leadership team, including President and General Manager Mike Solimano, got the opportunity to tour the facility and see the process in action. This firsthand look helped KIllington understand how the system works.
Over 650,000 tons of recyclables are recovered through the Rutland zero-sort recycling center in a calendar year, coming from a wide region including parts of upstate New York and New Hampshire, in addition to Vermont. The would-be trash is sorted by three plastic-picking robots and a staff of 22 humans who are on the job 5-6 days a week working 8–10-hour shifts
As the team learned more about the process from General Manager Joe Soulia, a truck carrying a custom-built dumpster from the K-1 lodge pulled up for disposal. The operator dropped the refuse – mostly cardboard boxes – and began its journey through the system, which takes up much of the 58,000 square foot building.
“Killington is doing a great job,” Soulia said. “Nothing has been rejected due to contamination in several years; your efforts have made a difference.”
Solimano explained some of the steps Killington has taken, including using reusable flatware and silverware rather than disposable containers at our busiest dining locations such as K-1. The resort provides a dump station where our team sorts the trash, so guests don’t have to. The resort also makes judgment calls in our self-serve locations with a goal to not send the bags obviously dripping with chili along with recyclables.
Casella Chairman and CEO John Casella joined the tour as well and spoke about how the process of recycling is a constant evolution.
“Our team is challenged every day to find different uses for materials and work with manufacturers to take it back,” he said. “It’s a journey with no destination. We just keep working at it.”
