Talking History with Linda Norris-Waldt

By Scott Grove

Photography By Turner Photography Studio

It’s hard to fathom, but 35 years ago, residential curbside recycling in Frederick County was nonexistent. At the time, residents only had garbage collection three times a week. Linda Norris-Waldt oversaw the launch the county’s recycling program.

Scott: When did you move to Frederick County and what prompted the move?

Linda: I relocated here in 1986 to take a job at The Frederick News-Post as a county government reporter.

Scott: What led to your becoming the county’s Recycling Coordinator, and what prompted the county to introduce recycling?

Linda: Since college I had been involved in environmental efforts, from stream cleanups to recycling. I left the newspaper in 1989 to be the county’s Public Information Officer. In 1990, a Recycling Coordinator position in the county’s Solid Waste Department became available. It seemed like the perfect synthesis of my environmental passion and my training as a communicator.

Scott: What was attractive to you about this position and the initiative?

Linda: In 1988, the state passed the Maryland Recycling Act, which required every county to recycle a percentage of their waste. I had written letters of support for this, so it seemed a perfect way to put my money where my mouth was. The first order of business was a study that was commissioned by the county to develop a plan for moving forward. My job was to implement the recommendations, which included drop-off centers and eventually curbside recycling.

Scott: How did the program roll out?

Linda: Up until this point, local recycling had been a nonprofit endeavor. So, spending money on recycling programs was a new concept. For this reason, we had to develop a phased program. Starting in 1990-91, we worked with some of the county’s small towns and their interested residents, setting up weekend collections in 55-gallon drums on a lift truck. The program then graduated into a series of drop-off centers with sections divided for glass, plastic, newspaper, cans and cardboard. Eventually we tested curbside recycling in a pilot program in the City of Frederick and Walkersville.

Scott: When was it decided that the program would expand countywide?

Linda: Each year we incorporated more geographic areas and added more incorporated towns—after working with municipal leaders to make certain all parties were on board. We also chose a few nonincorporated areas with large neighborhoods such as Clover Hill, Lake Linganore and Ballenger Creek before eventually spreading to more areas of the county. We met with countless homeowners’ association boards, schools and civic clubs. We had a robust advertising budget. We did a lot of public relations and also conducted press conferences each time we expanded the program to a new area.

Scott: What was the initial public response to the program?

Linda: It actually went quite well. After researching and talking to many community leaders, we realized that Frederick County residents were quite civic minded. Our messaging became that of how being a “recycler” was equivalent to being a good citizen. The program was especially well received in towns and among homeowners’ associations that contracted with commercial garbage collectors that were compensated based on collected tonnage.

Scott: What were the signs that the program was really taking hold? When would that have been?

Linda:Around 1993-94. We knew things were going well when new residents were calling and requesting a recycling bin soon after their arrival. Towns were also cutting back on the frequency of residential trash collection since less trash was being generated. Businesses were also stepping up their initial efforts.

Scott: You were in that position for nearly 10 years. What are you doing now?

Linda:After a bit of a detour into corporate communications. I came back to my roots in 2013 when I took a marketing position with the US Composting Council (USCC), a national trade organization that advocates for and trains people who run commercial compost operations—for example, Key City Compost in Lewistown. I’ve been with USCC for 10 years and am now the Deputy Director and Director of Policy.

Scott: How important is recycling and more recently, the food scrap composting programs, to Frederick County’s overall health?

Linda:Recycling and composting benefit the county’s financial health, on one hand. Choosing to manage our waste through these programs allows us to mitigate the costs of operating our trash collection program (avoiding the need for a new landfill) and the costs of our collection programs as residents and businesses realize they can downsize their trash footprint or divert material to a better use. Composting has as-yet unrealized potential in our county. It makes up nearly a quarter of the material that is landfilled and it generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Food scraps, when composted, can amend and strengthen soils depleted by fertilizer, adding organic matter, microbes and water-holding capacity.

Scott: How many pounds of recycled items are collected in Frederick County each year?

Linda: Our county population has grown to the point that we are now required to recycle or reduce 35 percent of our generated waste. In its 2022 report to the state, Frederick County cited a recycling and source reduction rate of 35.35 percent, with recyclables, both business and residential, totaling 147,887 tons.

Linda Norris-Waldt was born in Prince George’s County and is a longtime resident of Middletown. When not working, she enjoys hiking, reading and gardening. Scott Grove is the owner of Grove Public Relations, LLC., a marketing and advertising firm. His work also includes interpretive planning and exhibit design for museums and historic sites. For more info, visit www.scottrgrove.com.