You may or may not know, several weeks ago, the Board of Selectmen (BoS) inherited responsibility for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW --- TRASH & RECYCLING). Previously, the Board of Health had that responsibility. With this last annual fee increase of $30, pushing the total annual cost per household to $270, lots of calls were received at Town Hall and the BoS decided they would give MSW a try. The first thing the BoS did was form a Committee.
Some members were recruited and some volunteered. I vounteered since I have been recycling since 1942 and am keenly interested in encouraging others to recycle. There are 8 other active members and two more who are intested but not currently active due to meeting conflicts. We meet every Wednesday evening at 6:30pm in Town Hall, either in the Selectman's office or the Advisory Committee room on the opposite corner of the second floor. Our meetings are open public meetings and on occasion we have inerested residents attend and chip in their two cents worth. Of course everyone is invited. An effort is made to conclude our meetings by 8:pm but some times we go longer.
TALKING TRASH is SO much fun we just can't seem to tear ourselves away from it.
Some options we have researched and discussed are;
1) PAYT (Pay As You Throw)
2) Adding curbside recycling to our current curbside trash collection & closing the Recycling Center
3) Stopping curbside completely and going to a Transfer Station for both trash and recycling
4) Getting completely out of the trash business and having all residents fend for themselves with private trash haulers.
We have certainly not come close to rendering a choice amongst our members but these are some of the topics we are considering. There are towns in Mass doing some of each of these options and there are pros and cons to each of them.
Jim McCollum,
Member, Solid Waste & Recycling Committee
When I first voted at town meeting for trash pick-up, I was under the impression that we would be going to "pay as you throw". Why? Why?Why can't we go to "pay as you throw" AND use our beautiful recycling center? It would do people good to see where their trash is going. Be responsible!!!!! Why do we need to have the recycling picked up at the curb. If the center needs to be expanded, it would be more cost effective in the long run. My husband and I work and have a household of five (on a normal day), and we produce one sometimes two barrels a week. Education begins at home and in the schools. Recycling most trash should be as automatic as brushing you teeth. Using the center and pay as you throw would be the most cost effective for our wallets as well as the environment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the cost comparisons for curbside pick up of recycling. I imagine only a small percentage of households make the trip to that awful recycling center ... you know, the one that isn't even handicap accessible or easy to use by the disabled and/or geriatric. The one where more gas is used by individual trips rather than a few vehicles making the trip for everyone?
ReplyDeleteSo, how much would our SEMASS bill go down if we paid for curb pickup and had nearly 100% participation? How much less gas consumption and air pollution would there be?
Mike Delprete offers curbside, single stream recycling pick up for $12 a month, and he takes all plastic, not just #1 and #2. This is basically the same cost that we now pay. Curbside pickup would increase the number of people recycling dramatically.
ReplyDeleteHe has already submitted a proposal to the town, but apparently, Ed Thorne has not presented it to the selectmen.
Sharon, I hear you, but most people are not going to recycle unless it is convenient. Perhaps PAYT would help, but if curbside costs the same as what we have now, why not go with it?