HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-09-09 Solid Waste Advisory Committee MinutesSOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
September 9,1998 Minutes
Berger Room, Reading Town Hall
Present; Kay Clark, Bob Brown, Jackie Chipman, Lynda Zarrow, Anne MAtk, arf,Iaogh, Nate
White (Associate Member); Ted McIntire (Staff); Sharon Kishida, MRIP District Coordinator
(Guest).
The meeting was called to order about 7:40.
August minutes were approved as corrected.
Election of officers. Bob nominated. Jackie Chipman to be chairperson. After brief discussion,
Jackie was unanimously elected, 5-0-4. Bob agreed to serve as vice-chairperson, He was .
unanimously elected, 5-0-0. An enthusiastic, round of applause followed for Bob and Kay in
gratitude for their years of leadership.
Reports and Comments. Bob and Nate visited the Bali Foster Glass Company in Milford on Sept.
rd . Bob's typewritten report was sent out with the minutes. Bob and Nate reported on the visit.
More bottles are now being made of plastic.
Bob reported on the Northeast Municipal Recycling Communities meeting held Sept. e. It is now.
illegal to dump fluorescent bums with the trash. Natick uses Global Recycling to handle school
fluorescent bulbs. The cost is 9.5 cents a foot.
DISCUSSIONS:
MRIP (Municipal Recycling Incentive Program). We discussed the.textile collection MRIP
requirement. There is now a Planet Aid box in Reading, near.the Stoneham line. Sharon: The state
does not want Planet Aid figures submitted for the report card. St. Athanasius Church has a
clothing collection. box. Amvets or Vietnam Vets trucks come to town frequently to collect. The
next UU-sponsored town-wide textile collection is October 3rd:
Sharon: Currently the textile market is not doing well;. Ecosmith is not doing any more new textile
drives until the market improves. (They will still do our October 3'a drive.) In Reading, we should
encourage collections we can get credit for. We could have boxes at municipal buildings.
Equipment grants. Grant applications are due Friday in Boston. Ted is applying for a fluorescent
light shed, re-refined oil grant, educational mailing grant.
Computer and CRT recycling. Last weekend Gloucester collected 80 computers at their
computer recycling day.:
As of July '99, CRTs will be banned at disposal, facilities. The state hopes that communities will
encourage diversion of electronics. Global will take electronics for a price. Massachusetts is
leading the country in the issue of CRT bans. The state hopes to `-bring in the infrastructure to
recycle electronics, The EPA will give money to states that divert CR'I'B.
Each CRT contains 5-8 pounds of lead, as well as other toxic materials.
How do incinerators monitor for hazardous materials? They can't really monitor.
Some funds from the Clean Bottle Fund are going to communities to help with household
hazardous waste.
In a few years a lot of electronic equipment will be made obsolete by high definition TV.
Condo Collection. Ted is preparing a warrant on this issue for Town Meeting. Sharon asked some
questions about Reading's trash and recycling collection, re: MRIP requirements, and about condo
collection. If condos start getting town collection services, the town would provide toters. There
was a lot of discussion on these issues.
MASS RECYCLES DAY.
Compost bits demonstration Saturday November 7n' at Strout Ave. compost area. Ted has
extra brochures we can use. Lynda will supply a card table and aquarium. Anne has more
composting info. to bring; Jean has some too. We'll have a sign-up sheet for people who want
compost bins.
Tentative Schedule: 8 10 a.m. Lynda and Jackie
10 - noon Bob and Kay
12 -1 Jennifer?
I - 2 p.m. Anne
Jean, Lynda, Jennifer will meet to plan other Mass. Recycles Day events and to decide who will
write articles an Mass Recycles Day.
We briefly discussed how to bring in schools and educate young people about trash, recycle issues;
time constraints limited this discussion.
Lynda sent a letter to Carol Hughes at the Chamber of Commerce about Mass Recycles Day. They
would like us to attend the next meeting. Time constraints limited this discussion too.
Other discussion: Kay did not call the Hazardous Waste Committee, but Bob spoke with Sally
Hoyt who said there is no active Hazardous Waste Committee. Peter Hechenbleikner and the Select
Board reorganized the Hazardous Waste Comm. from. 7 to 5 members, but committee composition
is unknown. New Assistant Town Manager Russell Dean is the staff liaison.
Bob wrote a letter to Peter H. suggesting the use of recycled paint at the police station, schools, and
the new YMCA building. (Jeff Griffin has not yet responded to a previous request about school use
of recycled paint.)
Information and upcoming events. Bob and Ted will attend the Buy Recycled Vendor Pair on
October 3&. Other upcoming meetings and events were also mentioned.
New Business. The FY 2000 proposed budget is due by Sept. 25 h. Does the budget need to be
increased to accommodate the Cathode Ray Tube ban and fluorescent bulb diversion?
Sharon gave the committee the E-Call Hotline stickers for future mailings.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m.
Submitted by Jean Krogh
(with help at the end from Jackie Chipman)