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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-04-12 Solid Waste Advisory Committee MinutesSolid Waste Advisory Committee 12 April 1995, Berger Room, Town Hall Annex CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. Members present: Bob Brown, Sally Sabo, Anne Mark, Martha Moore. MARCH MINUTES The minutes of the March meeting were approved as written. REPORTS A. Button and Rechargeable Battery Collection Linda brought lots of batteries, mostly from the Senior Center. Cedar Glen lost their box, and does not wish to replace it. Bob collected 3 oz. of batteries. Tobias & Battite has moved to Burlington. B. NSRRC Meeting They will have a speaker on April 13 about Plastics Recycling and Waste Audit services. The question was raised whether curbside recycling is cost effective. Since we have the oil collection at the DPW Yard, we have not applied for any oil grants. There are grants for paint collection sheds, but we chose not to apply for them, probably since we have the Household Hazardous Waste Collections. Anne thinks that the oil paint collected there is then recycled. C. White Paper Collection In discussion of the proposed three-year contract with Waste Management for white paper collection, two concerns were raised which would suggest limiting the contract to one year would be preferable: 1) Finances will probably move in our favor 2) Our curbside pickup contract will be re-bid in June 1996 and changes there might affect the white paper pickups. D. Library Circulation box Anne removed older materials from the box, Bob will add a copy of the EPA booklet: The Consumer's Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste and give one to the librarian for the vertical file. STATUS OF DISPOSALCONTRACT We are currently negotiating with RESCO and Ogden-Martin. Ted is currently leaning toward Ogden-Martin. GRANTSTATUS Educational Materials Grant: Ruth filled out most of the customization form, Anne will finish it up and send it in. The form indicates that the brochures will be mailed this spring. Composter Grant: We need to set up a special account and send a representative to a workshop. Bob has previously attended one and that will count. Martha expressed interest in going to one this spring if it is convenient. Bob volunteered to call Ted McIntire and ask him to have Ted Cohen figure out how to set up an account and how to deal with state sales tax. Bob will call Ann McGovern to ask for any brochures they give out at the current workshops and check the schedule to see if there are any local workshops available. Photos of the composter exhibit taken at the Ipswich River Watershed Conference on April 11 may appear in the Chronicle and the Suburban News. EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES The composter exhibit on April 11 was a success. Anne set up a glass aquarium with sample compost layers, we had the video from the library running, and Bob set up the grave New Cornposter next to it. A number of students and adults stopped to inquire about it. Planning for a repeat demo at the Compost Area: Anne and Bob will bring the composter to the area on April 22 for a few hours. Martha will ask Leo Kenney if we may again borrow the aquarium. Bob will get permission from Ted to set up the demo. Anne will put a notice in the newspaper. Sally will provide a computer printed banner that reads: HOME COMPOSTING DEMO Anne has a video from Pennsylvania Resources Council and will look into getting it onto Cable TV USED PAINT Discussion was tabled. COMPUTER RECYCLING Paul Guerrette politely declined our offer of a town wide collection. He felt it would be better run by each school. Anne will get the information about the person who rehabilitates used computers, and Martha will give a letter with that information and an offer of help transporting computers to Jamaica Plain to each school's technology committee. OLD BUSINESS Re Sally's letter to Peter Hechenblei$kher about our recycling "grade." The actual percentage numbers seem to be imprecise. There was discussion of many aspects of trash reduction: buying less packaging, metal which is recovered at RESCO, etc. MIXED PAPER recycling at curbside could greatly increase our percentage. We decided to call some of the towns nearby which received high grades to ask: 1) How do they calculate their percentage? 2) What materials do they collect? We want to try to find any information that could help us improve our grade. Sally will call Andover, North Andover, and Wayland Martha will call Lexington Anne will call Rockport NEW BUSINESS Bob asked about getting the newspapers from the schools recycled. We decided it was not our area of authority. Re. proposal from Environmental Futures: Bob proposed inviting them to a meeting. The consensus was not to invite them since the town would not have any money to pay them, and the SWAC can provide the same services those consultants could. Re. clothing drive: Many groups in town already do clothing drives. Bob will compile a list of companies wishing to purchase textiles and give that list to local organizations which run rummage sales. We will include a discussion of new members on the next agenda. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:37 P.M.