Recycling Programs That Work

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Recycling Programs That Work

• Amy DonovanProgram DirectorFranklin County
  Solid Waste Management District Greenfield, MA

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Overview of presentation

• About my organization
• Recycling in Western Mass
• About Commercial Composting (CC) the
• climate change and farm connection
• CC programs that work schools,
• transfer stations, businesses
• Waste Diversion Fairs, Festivals, Races
• Hazardous Waste and EE
• Next steps more sustainable in 2012

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Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
22 member towns 30 schools, 17 transfer
stations, 4 municipal compost programs

• Bernardston
• Buckland
• Charlemont
• Colrain
• Conway
• Deerfield
• Erving
• Gill
• Hawley
• Heath
• Leverett

• Leyden
• Montague
• New Salem (CC since 2009)
• Northfield (CC since 2008)
• Orange (CC 2011 pilot)
• Rowe
• Shelburne
• Sunderland
• Warwick
• Wendell
• Whately (CC since 2003)

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Solid Waste District Highlights

• Recycling coordinator for Franklin County
• Annual Household Hazardous Waste Day
• Twice annual Bulky Waste Day ( e-waste)
• Sharps Disposal Program
• What Do I Do With? 350 items listed
• www.franklincountywastedistrict.org
• MassRecycles Recycler of the Year
• Solid Waste District, Municipal Program, 1996
• Jan Ameen, Executive Director, 2005
• Amy Donovan, Program Director, 2011
• www.massrecycle.org

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Springfield Materials Recycling Facility (MRF)

• Solid Waste District on MRF Advisory Board
• Board annual Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Guide
• MRF pays 74 western Mass municipalities 15-
  45/ton for recyclables
• www.springfieldmrf.org

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Commercial Composting

• Commercial Composting
• Organics Recycling
• On-Farm
• Food Waste
• goes way beyond the backyard bin!

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Commercial Composting accepts materials
previously destined for trash less trash

• Generally accepts
• All food including items not composted at home
• Meat, chicken, fish, bones, dairy, fats, oils
• ( bread, veggies, fruits)
• All paper including non recyclable
• Paper cups, paper plates, napkins, paper towels,
  waxed cardboard, waxed paper, soiled pizza boxes,
  soiled paper, soiled paper bags, flour/ sugar
  bags, egg cartons
• Wood skewers, chopsticks, coffee stirrers,
  sporks
• Compostable plastic PLA cups, certain bags
• NO plastic, metal, glass, foil, etc.!

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CCs benefits to participating organizations and
planet

• Save money on tipping fees
• MSW (trash) 75/ ton
• Compostables 45/ ton
• Reduce trash p/u or dumpster size and save on
  trash disposal /hauling costs
• Consumers/ costumers appreciate green action
• Supports local commercial composting facilities/
  farms local business
• Saves space in landfills
• Creates valuable soil out of waste
• Mitigates climate change!

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Composting helps slow Climate Change

• Climate Change is caused by greenhouse gases in
  our atmosphere.

Greenhouse Gases Carbon Dioxide Methane Nitrous
Oxide (School slides)
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The Climate Change Connection

• When food waste (and paper) decay in a landfill,
  methane is released (due to anaerobic
  conditions).
• Methane is a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent
  than carbon dioxide.
• Landfill Gas Recovery not always a solution.

Methane pipe at a landfill
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Why doesnt composting release methane? Because
oxygen is part of the composting process
(aerobic). There is no oxygen in a landfill.
More info www.cool2012.com
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Bear Path Farm, Whately, MA
Windrows
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Martins Farm in Greenfield accepts compost from
schools Pioneer HS, Turners Falls HS Northfield
ES, Bernardston ES, Deerfield ES, Erving ES,
Sunderland ES, Amherst, more.. transfer
stations Northampton, Northfield, markets Big
Y stores, Greenfield Stop Shop, McCuskers, Gre
enfields Market, plus restaurants
Windrow turner at Martins Farm, Greenfield, MA
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Windrows at Martins Farm
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Whately Transfer Stationfirst municipal program
in the state
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Northfield Transfer Station 2 yd dumpsterSaves
town 1,384/ year
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School composting
2 yard compost dumpster
Gill Elementary food, milk cartons, paper in
green compostable bag Bag Comp-lete from
Fortune Plastics
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Schools

• Free resources
• MA DEP Green Team free recycling/ composting
  equipment, activities, contests
• www.thegreenteam.org
• ACE Climate Assembly free assembly
• www.acespace.org

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Shelburne Falls Compost CollaborativeBlue Rock
Restaurant, Café Martin, Mocha Mayas, Mos
Fudge Factor, West End Pub

• Shared compost dumpster
• Cost is shared according to each Bs volume
• SFABA and FCSWMD manage program
• Shredded paper Mirick Insurance, Trailside
  Health

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Organics Haulers

• Triple T Trucking, Brattleboro dumpsters
• Services Pioneer valley
• Pricing 70/ 2 yd., 130/ 4 yd., p/u weekly
• Tips _at_ Martins Farm, Greenfield Shadow Brook
  Farm, Hampden
• [phone], tripletrubbishremoval.com
• Alternative Recycling toters
• 413-587-4005, alternativerecycling.com
• Allied Waste dumpsters
• 413-592-9411

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Waste Diversion/ Reduction Fairs, Festivals,
Races
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Solid Waste Districts Special Event Bin Loaner
Program
Pictured Recycling Volunteers at Conway Festival
of the Hills
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Franklin County Fair

• 25,000 attendees, 4 day Fair
• 2011 Fair 29 diversion rate
• 50 savings disposal costs

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Hazardous Waste and EE
Please help educate!
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Mercury Thermostats Thermometers
should never be thrown in the trash. They
contain mercury, which is toxic.
can be brought to the The
Franklin County Solid Waste
Management District office at 50
Miles St. in Greenfield and be properly disposed
of for no charge. (413-772-2438) call your
municipality to see if accepted. Also, CFLs,
batteries, cell phones, e-waste.
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Next Steps Increasing Sustainability in 2012

• 57 western Mass towns/ waste districts sell low
  cost compost bins! (25-50)
• Reduce, Reuse Recycle Guide
• Recycle rechargeable batteries, HHW
• Organizations ID waste destinations,
• plenty of bins/ signage, educate users
• Reduce disposables
• Emerging (local) technologies- food waste
• If all else fails, ask me how to green your
  organization!

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• Questions?
• Amy DonovanProgram DirectorFranklin County
  Solid Waste Management District 50 Miles Street
  Greenfield, MA 01301 Tel [phone]
  amy_at_franklincountywastedistrict.orgwww.franklinc
  ountywastedistrict.org/