HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-02-12 Solid Waste Advisory Committee MinutesSOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
Fobruary 12 1997 -Berger Room, Town Hall Annex, Reading
RECEIVED
` O V,itl C L IUK
RE DIiN0, ltzr w
Present; Anne Mark, Kay Clark, Bob Brown, Lynda Zarrow Carol Nelson; Jackie Chipman, Jean Krogh. ;
Staff: Ted Mclntire: -Guest: Jose, F vazza.
Kay Clark called the meeting to order at 7:33 p:m. Minutes from the January 81h meeting were approved
unanimously. Minutes for subcommittee meetings on January 21 and January. 27 h were approved by a vote
of $-0-2.
Discussion with Jose(Jahn) Faivaua from 'B'aste ManageMeut of Gloucester:
What happens to reFyclables when they leave Reading, committee members asked:`
Page goes to Wood Fiber Recycling in Wpburn.where it is made into Hydro=seed. Paper from
municipal :buildings goes. to a mill in Haverhill where it is turned into backing for notepads. Paper from the
hoped-for future drop-toff facility will also go. to tha Haverhill dill.
If Rpading recycled only newspapers, our,paper Would have more value. Every type of paper added `ta .
the mix causes a decrease in the value 'of the recycfabie paper, Jose said. Straight newspaper has a-lot of
.possible markets. However, Jose also said- that when. the market was good for newspapers it was also .goad
for mixed paper; everyone was fighting for the same ton of paper. Right now it is more expensive to get. rid
of recyclables than trash; the overseas market has dried up, and since there is more recycling in the V. S:, mills
n get paper from all over the country.
What if. Reading residents pre-sorted their paper? The recycling tracks wouldn't have room for more
sorted items. Most haulers co-mingle paper in their -trucks.
Does Waste Management lobby manufacturers to use, more recycled materials? Waste Management
has.no lobbying arm, lose said. He said that thoproblem is thatconsj~Mers won't accept multxi-polared glass
and other products from recycled,materials; and he said it costs. more to male -things with post-consumer
content. But what about government price supports fora lot ofvirgin manufacturing? It's all eonsumer-
driven, said Jose.
Brown paper bags ca be recycled. But no wrapping paper, construction paper, food product paper,
Paperback books(except at the. library), or paper :with crayon can go in the red bins.
Corrugated cardboard goes to mood Fiber Recycling. in Woburn.
Glass goes to Anchor Glass in Connecticut. Their biggest customer is Anheiser-Busch; also Hain'$.
Residents have to take the rings off glass bottles. And the hauler won't collect black glass.
Plastics go to a.facility in New Hampshire where they are baled and sold to Wellman; ;one of the big:
buyers of plastics. Polartec is made from this plastic. Because plastics are light. and'bulky, it takes.a lot of
plastic to make a ton for bating, and it takes time to create truckloads for shipping.
There is no market for any plastics higher than 2. PET is #l and HDPE is #21 No place w.
ants 3-7,
Jose said, so manufacturers shouldn't use 3_7'7.
Styrofoam is even worse than plastic.
Metals go, to the Waste Management facility in NH. Aluminum goes eventually to Alcoa for soda
cans. Tin goes to US Steel for car parts-, cat food cans, staples; it does not go back into food prodirets..
Jose feels that we need to educate young children, Oh grade and younger. He thinks recycling will take off in
the next generation and that children will be able to turn their parents on to recycling. Another Waste
Management staffer, John Tognazzi, goes to schools to talk, with a recycling truck. Could. he do this in
Reading in conjunction with Earth Day or Community Day?
When technology improves so there are more planes to get of recycled material, recycling will take off. Mus
are currently charging Waste Management and other companies who are trying to market recyclables.
Other points made by Jose: We should really emphasize:buying recycled. When. neighbors recycle, other's
recycle; peer pressure ,does work. Don't aggravate people who are "on the fence;" make things as simple as
possible.
Drop-off center: The committee discussed with lose the ,proposed drop-off center... Jose said we should not
encourage, businesses to use it. He thinks it should be staffed;. i it's not staffed,. it will be `~a disaster,"Ted
thinks *0. m apply for a grant for a'rou-off con~ai.ner. Jose suggested a,40-yard cont*er and ;a 30 yard one.
When the contents of a roll-off are contaminated,, it can cost $500.
We all agreed that the establishment of the drop-off center is a process and that we have things to
figure out.. Suggestions: have elders staff it or condo people; Carol wondered if Osco's night manager could
lock it. We'll have to, do a big publicity campaign: Osco will open in June or July.
After Jose left, committee members discussed the fact that DEP says children do not influence their parents on
recycling issues and that we definitely should increase recycling.
)mmittee members agreed to curtail discussionon most of the other agenda items since it was getting late.
Piresentation to the Select;Board, February25~h. Kay went over her presentation to the Board. There was
great discussion on. whether we should focus most on increasing recycling or buying recycled as well as
discussion on the content of the'presentarion and on haw much to include- numerical goals.
Other business. Anne said the Mass. Coalition for the Homeless can do. a community-wide pickup. 'Ted: has
no problem with this as DPW director. Lynda volunteered to. be the person residents. can call and to 'do
publicity.
Jean passed out a few names of places to call to update our library recycling folder.
We decided not to staff a booth at the Woburn Mall on Earth Day this year.
Jackie volunteered to fill out the form Ted has for educational flyers. Question: would Waste Management
fund a roll-off instead of the brochure?
Jean moved that the meeting be adjourned; Anne seconded; the vote was unanimous. The meeting was
adjourned at 10:15 p.m.
Submitted.by Jean Krogh