June 15, 2026 | Source: WasteDive | by Jacob Wallace
Concerns about sludge management technologies have collided with the Northeast’s dwindling waste disposal capacity in recent years. A report released by the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association in April found that in 2024, 23% of the region’s waste went to landfills that could close within five years. About 26% of the region’s waste was already shipped out of state that year.
NEWMOA’s report covered eight states, including Rhode Island. The state’s one remaining waste disposal facility is the Central Landfill after another municipal landfill closed in 2018. Officials are also scheduling the closure of wastewater-specific infrastructure — the town of Woonsocket intends to shutter its sewage sludge incinerator, one of two remaining in the state.
At the same time, communities around the country have been alarmed by possible contamination from fertilizer derived from sewage sludge. Farmland that spread the material in some cases has seen high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which could lead to serious health impacts.
