|
|
|
|
Home > Municipal Services > Boards & Commissions > Recycling and Solid Waste Commission
|
|
| Recycling and Solid Waste Commission |
|
| Recycling and Solid Waste Commission | We would like to introduce ourselves. We are a commission made up of seven members put together to educate the public on recycling and solid waste and advice the Town Council on ways to improve recycling. We were a temporary commission brought together when recycling was introduced in Plainville. In 2001, we were made a permanent commission by town ordinance.
We sponsored a recycling poster contest with great success as well as sneaker and electronic recycling collection.
We meet the second Thursday of every month at the town municipal center in room 302 at 7 p.m. The public is always welcome to come to our meetings and express their opinions and ideas. At present there are five members on our commission. We are looking for more members. People who are interested should contact Town Manager, Robert Lee at 793-0221.
Commission Members
Richard Ireland Jr. - Chairman
George Fensick III - Vice Chairman
Rebecca Ireland - Secretary
Robert Kozlowski
Marie Cassidy
Kathleen Cole (alternate)
Jason Rupaka, Town Council Liasion
If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact Linda Kwong at the Town Municipal Center at 860-793-0221 Ext. 298. Join us at one of our meetings.
The links below provide more information on recycling. |
| Q: |
Why should you recycle?
|
| A: |
Each year, our state produces an average of ONE Ton of trash per person and we have 3.3 million people. Historically most of our 3 millions tons of trash have gone to solid waster landfills. Currently, over 60 percent of our trash goes to waste-to-energy facilities and our dwindling landfill space is almost gone. We have to do something different. Recycling is a better alternative, and that's why it's urgent for everyone to recycle now. Every community has their own recycling guidelines.
On average, each one of us produces 4.4 pounds of solid waste each day. This adds up to almost a ton of trash per person, per year. In a state with over 3 million resident$ this means we generate close to 3,000,000 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) each year.
|
| Q: |
What is the history behind recycling?
|
| A: |
How we handle our solid waste has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. As recently as 1975, 140 of Connecticut's 169 towns disposed of their trash within their own borders. Today, only one municipality operates its' own landfill to dispose of residential trash. What happened? In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it became apparent that dozens of municipal landfills would have to close. Many had reached their permitted capacity, while others were unable to meet new federal regulatory requirements for modern sanitary landfills. Some even posed a contamination threat to drinking water supplies.
An important step was taken toward changing the way we manage our MSW when Connecticut adopted a solid waste management hierarchy which utilizes first source reduction, then recycling, composting, waste-to-energy and finally landfilling as the preferred methods to handle our trash. To implement this hierarchy, the State legislature passed the Mandatory Recycling Act (PA 87-544) which required recycling of 25% of the state's solid waste stream by January 1, 1991.
On May 1, 1996, nickel-cadmium batteries were added to the list of mandatory recyclables. Instead of being recycled curbside, these batteries are recycled though a take-back program sponsored by retailers and battery manufacturers. As of October 1998, grass clippings were banned from solid waste disposal facilities. In the 1993 legislative session, Connecticut's General Assembly passed An Act Concerning The State Recycling Goal, PA 93-423. One of the major provisions of this act is to raise the state's recycling/source reduction goal to 40% by the year 2000. To help achieve this goal, many municipalities have added additional items to their programs including: plastic resins #1 & #2, magazines and junk mail and even textiles. Connecticut's recycling/source reduction rate has reached 25% for FY 1997-98. The rate does not include redeemable deposit containers (CT is a bottle bill state), auto scrap or certain other commercial recyclables.
To facilitate the collection, processing and marketing of recyclable commodities, municipalities were encouraged to join one of 10 recycling regions. Towns belonging to regions send their collected recyclables to one of 6 intermediate processing centers (IPCs) which are located in Stratford, Hartford, Danbury, Berlin, Willimantic and Groton. At the IPCs, the recyclable materials are prepared for market. Working through an IPC allows communities to take advantage of the economies of scale that a larger facility offers. Companies that purchase the recyclables as a feedstock are assured of a more reliable and consistent supply of materials for their manufacturing process. Some towns have chosen not to join a region. These towns market their own recyclables or utilize a private broker.
After recycling and source reducing as much of our MSW as possible (currently 24.1 % or 468 Ibs. per capita- an additional 1 % is a source reduction credit for home composting and grasscycling), most of the remaining trash is incinerated at one of 6 waste-to-energy facilities located in Hartford, Bristol, Bridgeport, Wallingford, Preston and Lisbon. The energy produced is sold to electric utility companies. The resource recovery process reduces the weight of the refuse by 75%. The resulting ash is landfilled. In 1997 -98, 62% of our trash was incinerated, 4.5% was landfilled and 9.4% went out-of-state.
The DEP Recycling Program is actively promoting source reduction through its Environmental Shopping programs which educate consumers about how to reduce waste by not buying overpackaged products, avoiding disposables, and selecting durable, reusable items. Our "Don't Trash Grass!" program encourages homeowners to leave their grass clippings on the lawn, which effectively removes them from the waste stream. Our home composting education program encourages residents to manage yard trimmings and food scraps on their own property. This enables them to produce a valuable soil amendment, compost, and also reduces the need for costly collection programs for these items. Closing the Loop-Connecticut buys recycled products. The State of Connecticut has been a leader in taking a proactive role to promote market development for recyclables. Back in 1988, Connecticut's General Assembly charged the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) with preparing and implementing a state plan to increase the purchase of products made from recycled material. Public Act 90-224 requires newsprint publishers and printers to utilize an increasing percentage of recycled fiber in their newsprint. In 1994, CT was one of the first states in the nation to revise
specifications for printing and writing paper to incorporate standards specified by Federal Executive Order #12873. In addition, the same legislation directed DAS to adopt EPA procurement guidelines for minimum recycled content for those products for which guidelines exist. These policies acknowledge that recycling is a process, which involves not only collection, but also remanufacturing, and the purchase of products made from recycled materials. All aspects of this process are equally important if we are to close the loop and make the most of our natural resources. For more information, call (860) 424-3365.
|
| Q: |
How do recycle a phone book?
|
| A: |
Put them out with your bi-weekly newspaper sidewalk pickup.
|
| Q: |
What can you recycle?
|
| A: |
These items include: glass food & beverage containers, used motor oil, vehicle (lead-acid) batteries, scrap metal, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, metal food & ,beverage containers, leaves, white office paper (private residences exempt).
|
| Q: |
Where is our transfer station?
|
| A: |
Granger Lane
Open April thru November
Closed December thru March
8:00am-11 :30am
Saturday Only 12:00pm-3:30pm
|
| Q: |
How much does it cost to recycle?
|
| A: |
See statistics at brrfoc.org/pdfs/tonnage_data.pdf
|
|
|
