Small municipalities in Massachusetts are tackling a huge question: How do you maintain a curbside composting program?
Thanks to a committed volunteer effort in Hamilton and Wenham, the towns are on the fast track to achieving zero waste. Hamilton has a population of around 8,000 while Wenham is home to about 5,000.
In Hamilton, residents receive free weekly organics and recycling pickups, and the town simplified the process by providing 13-gallon recycling bins for curbside pickup and a two-gallon bin people can use on their kitchen countertops, said Gretel Clark, chairwoman of the Hamilton Recycling Committee.
Clark said having a local composting operation, Brick Ends Farm, was paramount to the success of the program.
“Anybody who knows about establishing a recycling or organics program knows that if you donґt have a composter nearby, thatґs probably going to make putting this program into effect very difficult,” she said.
Clark spoke during a presentation, “Where do we go from here? Reaching zero waste,” at MassRecycleґs 2012 Recycling & Organics Conference & Trade Show in Boxborough, Mass., last month.
To save time, the hauler uses a split-body truck for separating recyclables from organic materials, Clark said.
Solid waste pickup is done biweekly in Hamilton. Residents can place their trash on the curb free of charge as long as they donґt exceed the limits of the container. If they have more garbage than that, Clark said they have to buy blue trash bags for either $1.75 or $2, depending on the town.
During the initial pilot project with 74 households for organics collection three years ago, Hamilton said officials discovered that the solid waste yields were 10 pounds to 12 pounds lighter when organics were collected separately.
Source: Waste & Recycling News
By Vince Bond Jr.