HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-01-08 Solid Waste Advisory Committee MinutesRECEIVED
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Solid Waste Advisory Committee READING, ASS
January 8, 1997 - Arnold Berger Room, Reading Town Hall Annex
EB I7
resent: Bob Brown, Jackie Chipman, Kay Clark, Jean Krogh, Anne Mark, Carol elso ed
McIntire, Lynda Zarrow
Kay Clark called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m..
December minutes were approved 6-0-1 as revised.
Discussion of Drop-off for Recyclables: Ted and John Tagnese viewed both the Union Street lot
and Cerretani's. Both seem to work logistically. The parking lot of the former Cerretani's, targeted
as a future Osco Drug, is our preferred drop-off location. Carol indicated she has played telephone
tag with her Osco Drug contact, and she plans to fax a letter to Osco this week.
If Osco accepts our request, we'll need to know when the lot space will become available for our use.
If Osco denies our request, we'll look into Union Street and determine if site of the new police station
conflicts with our plans.
Continuation of Education/User Fee - ACTION PLAN: Ted reported partial results of the
recycling participation survey. 76.9% of "stops" (households counted) were recycling. The
remaining stops will be surveyed this week.
!Kay showed us data she is compiling on trash tonnage by week grouped by fiscal year. Ted will
ovide her with recycling invoices so that she can calculate the recycling rate (by weight). The.
`.-data seemed to have consistent high and low points during each year. She will do some statistical
analysis of the numbers.
SWAC will staff a table at Atlantic on Saturday, January 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Jean submitted a
piece to the Chronicle about the booth, but it does not appear to have been published. We will
mention ways to reduce, reuse and recycle as well as distribute flyers and collect surveys. A
compost bin will also be on display.
We will meet with the BOS on February 18 or 25th. Anne may ask Nicole Cirillo (of DEP) to attend
as well. She can present the Board with information on the planned state-wide recycling campaign,
to be "kicked off" by a marketing firm in Fall 1997.
The sub-committee will meet at Anne Mark's home on Tuesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss
our Solid Waste Educational Campaign. The discussion will also include details on what we'd like
Waste Management to include in their educational program for school children.
Bob and Lynda reported that no button batteries were collected.
Anne will give educational tapes to John Upton at Continental Cablevision for his review. She will
also call the DEP library to determine if there are any other tapes that may be suitable for cable
Ievision. Jean will share the PAYT video with Kay. This video may also be appropriate for cable
_ducation.
We discussed topics and questions for Waste Management including what they suggest we might
next add to curbside pick-up of recyclables (paperboard, other plastics, aluminum foil and pie tins,
We also want to know where our recyclables go after the truck picks them up and what
ripens to them at that location. Also, what environmental and economic impact does
contamination have on the materials they pick up? What is their elementary educational program?
(We'll state our needs as determined at the January 21 subcommittee meeting). Do they have
lobbyists who work with manufacturers?
Upcoming Events - Tour of EPA, Inc. Lowell (January 16,1997): This company demanufactures
computers. Linda King will attend.
Old Business: Rooms are unavailable to hold a meeting in the library in the near future. Carol has
bookmarked web sites, and instructed us how to view them. She sent changes to the Reading Web
page to Jeff Murley to implement.
Lynda spoke to Anne McGovern about her plans for another compost bin survey. No survey is
anticipated in the near future, so we will table this issue until a later date.
New Business: Anne informed us about another meeting on January 16 which will include a
discussion about collecting furniture for the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless in a bulk
waste pick-up. This topic interested the committee.
Carol learned from Beth Klepis that Reading's water bills include an area for notes and messages.
She will prepare a short message of what is now recyclable, and submit it to Ted and Peter for
`3roval. (The next quarterly bill will be sent February 1).
A resident called Bob requesting a 1997 update to the calendar printed on the last recycling flyer
that was mailed to residents. Ted responded that we have applied for a grant to produce a new flyer.
The committee discussed possible future candidates for open SWAC positions.
The meeting adjourned at 9:25.
Submitted by Lynda Zarrow