Sharon A. Driscoll of the Madison County Department of Solid Waste recently received the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award for Recycling Leadership in New York State.
Awarded by the New York State Association of Reduce, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR3) the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges the 25 years Driscoll spent tackling countless recycling initiatives and making significant contributions statewide.
Driscoll’s name is synonymous with all things recycling in Madison County. She advocated for recycling stations at New York State Thruway stops and developed a household hazardous waste disposal program which has been used as a model for other municipalities. In 2004, she advocated for a ban on disposal of E-Waste in the landfill which was implemented long before the statewide ban went into effect. She was also instrumental in establishing the biannual safe pill and medication collection in Madison County.
Driscoll’s most extraordinary contribution is the development of the Reuse Store at the Madison County landfill. When county officials were unwilling to sponsor the store due to liability concerns, Driscoll was undaunted. She simply developed a public/non-profit partnership with the Rescue Mission to manage the store.
Through her efforts, Madison County landfill staff worked together to transform a three-bay garage into an attractive retail venue allowing; purchase of inexpensive household items, increased waste diversion and a new revenue stream for the Rescue Mission. Opened in July 2012, the ReUse Store is the first of its kind to be located at a municipal landfill in New York State. The win/win result: increased waste diversion and a new revenue stream for the Rescue Mission.
Since its inception in 2012, the ReUse Store has reclaimed 41.58 tons of usable items and taken in almost $55,000 in revenue. Although the ReUse Store focuses on household items, the partnership also allows residents to donate textiles.
Also due to Driscoll’s innovative HHW (household hazardous waste) program, residents of Madison County are able to dispose of toxic waste through a weekly schedule rather that at one or two collection days annually. This method saves revenue for the County and the DEC since charges are per individual rather than the large fees charged per disposal event.
For all of this, as well as her commitment to ongoing public education and outreach on behalf of Madison County she was presented with the 2016 Recycling Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award during the 27th Annual NYSAR Conference in Cooperstown.
