HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-03-08 Solid Waste Advisory Committee MinutesSolid Waste Advisory Committee
8 March 1995, Berger Room, Town Hall Annex
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:45 p.m. Members present: Bob Brown, Ruth Cogan
Clay, Anne Mark, Martha Moore, Sally Sabo
FEBRUARY MINUTES
The minutes of the February meeting were approved as written.
REPORTS
1. Bob collected 1 oz. of button batteries this month. We expect to hear more about
the rechargeable battery collection program by the end of March.
2. Joseph Lambert from DEP will attend the March 9 North Shore Regional Recycling.
Committee meeting and will have information about state recycling grants.
3. Martha reported two options for collecting white paper. (a) Waste Management will
supply 90-gallon totes with wheels and lids, to be emptied every 1- 2 weeks, at no cost
for bin rental or pickup. (b) North Shore Recycled Fibers will. pay $50 per ton for paper,
with no cost for bin rental. They will run educational programs at the schools-and
encourage students to bring white paper from home. They are looking fora large volume of
paper and would want to put a 10-yard container at each school or a30-yard container
somewhere in town. Ruth suggested a system like Waste Management's that doesn't bring
up storage issues might be more appropriate; she will look into this.
4. Anne checked the library circulation box and removed materials more than two
months old. Bob has added information on dioxin and reformulated gasoline. He will also
add information on the Commonwealth's recycling rate report card.
STATUS OF DISPOSAL CONTRACT
Bob reported that Ted McIntire will recommend that Reading sign a contract with RESCO
for trash disposal. There is concern that although Ogden-Martin might be cheaper during
the first year of the contract, trash disposal there might become more expensive the next
year because the hauling contract will be rebid at that time and Ogden-Martin is farther from
Reading than RESCO (thus, hauling rates will likely go up).,
GRANT STATUS
No word is available yet on Reading's grant applications for composting bins and recycling
information brochures.
VIDEOS
The Committee watched videos on the operation of the Prins Materials Recovery Facility
(MRF) in Boston and on solid waste disposal alternatives (produced by Keep America
Beautiful, Inc., and provided by Pat Scanlon of Wheeldbrator). ,
EARTH DAY
The regional Ipswich Valley Watershed Conference will be held at Reading Memorial High
School on April 11. Martha will contact Leo Kenney at the High School about having a
booth at the conference to demonstrate the Brave-New Composter. It was suggested that
we run the backyard composting video (available at the, library) alongside the composter,
and perhaps have a display of books as well.
Barrows School is holding a science-related PTO event right after Earth Day that may
include Earth-Day-type information. As of now, the other schools that Martha and Anne
contacted don't have Earth Day activities planned.
It was suggested that vacation activities could be planned around Earth Day (since it tends
to fall during spring vacation week). Ruth suggested thinking about this for next year.
RECYCLING RATE REPORT CARD
If yard waste is included, Ted believes Reading's actual recycling rate is 24% - 26%. He
will write a letter to DEP stating this.
The Committee discussed how to raise recycling rates. (1) Incentives. (2) Add mixed
paper to recycling collection. (3) Report tonnage of white paper recycling from schools
and Town Hall. (4) Increase participation rate through education. (5) Report all the
materials Reading recycles (car batteries, waste oil, tires, etc.). Sally will draft a letter to
Peter about this and send copies to Committee members for comments.
Regarding money for public education, it was suggested that the next recycling contract
stipulate "public education with a value of $X for each year of the contract" (since the
recycling contractor's responsibility in this area has been somewhat. unclear).
COMPUTER RECYCLING
Anne reported that Linda King has offered to transport used computer equipment to a
company in Boston that refurbishes it and donates it to schools, but she needs a place for
the equipment to be stored during collection. This raised various questions: (1) Could we
collect computer equipment and give first choice to the Reading schools before donating the
rest to the Boston company? (2) Are town-property issues involved (i.e., if the SWAC
runs the collection, does the equipment become town property)? (3) Could donors be
given tax receipts? Martha will call the Killam PTO (which has recently issued an appeal
for computer equipment): if, the SWAC publicizes a town-wide computer equipment
collection, could they coordinate it and see that each Reading school had a chance to pick
out equipment that they could use?
USED PAINT
Ruth noted that the oil paint that is collected at the town's household hazardous waste
collections is recycled.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
Anne Mark