Vermont’s largest city has launched an ambitious plan to eliminate waste through a comprehensive “circular economy” initiative that aims to transform how products are designed, manufactured, and reused within the community.
The Burlington Circular Economy Action Plan, approved unanimously by the City Council, establishes a framework to achieve zero waste by 2030 through a combination of policy changes, business incentives, and community education programs.
“The traditional ‘take-make-waste’ economic model is environmentally unsustainable and economically inefficient,” explained Mayor Diana Thompson at the launch event. “A circular approach keeps materials in use, regenerates natural systems, and eliminates waste and pollution from the start.”
The initiative builds on Burlington’s existing sustainability efforts, including its achievement of 100% renewable electricity in 2014. The plan includes mandatory composting for all businesses and residences, a ban on single-use plastics, and a new material recovery facility that will process recyclables locally rather than shipping them overseas.
A key innovation is the creation of a “materials marketplace” — a physical location and digital platform where businesses can exchange byproducts and unused materials that might otherwise end up in landfills.
“One company’s waste becomes another’s raw material,” said Jason Chen, the city’s newly appointed Circular Economy Director. “We’ve already facilitated exchanges between 27 local businesses, from breweries sending spent grain to bakeries to construction companies sharing excess materials.”
The plan includes financial incentives for businesses that redesign products for durability and repairability. A low-interest loan program will help local manufacturers retrofit operations to eliminate waste streams and recover valuable materials.
For residents, the city has established neighborhood repair cafés where volunteers with repair skills help community members fix everything from clothing to electronics. The first three cafés have collectively diverted an estimated seven tons of material from landfills in their initial six months.
“The repair culture used to be standard before we became a throwaway society,” said volunteer repair coordinator Eleanor Wright, a retired engineer. “We’re teaching people skills their grandparents took for granted.”
Education is another central component, with circular economy principles being incorporated into Burlington school curricula and a new certificate program at the University of Vermont’s Sustainable Innovation MBA program.
While some business owners initially expressed concerns about increased costs, many have discovered economic benefits. “Redesigning our packaging to be fully compostable actually reduced our materials cost by 14%,” said Sarah Johansen, owner of a local bakery chain.
City officials estimate the initiative will create approximately 400 new jobs in recycling, remanufacturing, and repair services while reducing municipal waste management costs.
“Burlington is demonstrating that environmental responsibility and economic prosperity can go hand in hand,” Thompson said. “We’re creating a model that we hope other communities will adapt and improve upon.”
