Recycling Committee Meeting, 8/13/12
In attendance: Jen Eaton, Judy Sheldon, Phil Stannard, Abbey Greene, Andrea Yonge, Bob
Spaulding, Bonnie Rosati, Wilma deSpain
Judy shared with group purpose of committee...to investigate whether or not Fair Haven should consider changing recycling methods and then make recommendation to Selectboard
Question was asked why the selectboard is looking at this, it was stated that the understanding was that, long-term, it might save town money
Andrea Yonge (Casella rep) Role is to help implement recycling in communities, education, work with current haulers (not focused on hauling contract)
Shared some success stories (handouts)
60% of household trash is recyclable
Bowden, ME 10-15% increase in recycling when moved from dual sort to zero sort (their population is comparable to ours)
Explained some of the things that Casella will do to help educate community, press releases, face to face
Movement from Source....dual...zero=convenience, future, important to educate about the reasons for doing it, reduction in labor
New law....by 2013/14 all public trash containers must have recycle container next to it
Compactor.... there are options to include leasing
Bob Spaulding
Trial period may be possible, but hard to go to back
Plastic is costing the most money, partly because no revenue and there is the expense of hauling and getting rid of it
Metal is hauled elsewhere because it pays better than Casella
Cardboard to St Albans, taking out boxboard, 1 1/4 ton cardboard every 10 days
Pulls a lot out, does not charge contamination fee
Discussion about new law
No cost guarantee, numbers he sees indicate that source separation is the way to go
Canusa currently has best rates and no haul fee
Cardboard - twice as much when takes to St. Albans, which he separates
Infrastructure concerns with transfer station that have not been addressed!
Abby Greene
Glass is crushed and kept there, used as fill
Boxboard can go in magazines or with white paper, no sign
People don't know, seem to struggle with what to do no matter how many signs or directions
Currently recycle through source separation: Magazines, mixed paper, white paper, paper bags, newspaper, plastics 1-7, tin cans, e-cycle, clothing, cardboard, glass, tires, metal pile, appliances, refrigerated stuff separate ($10 to get freon out-then into metal pile), compost leaves, burn pile

for brush, big stump pile
Would guess about 40% (of people that use transfer station) recycle but that is a guess
Transition would change set-up a lot
Canusa - comes, town loads it and Kanusa takes it, sends check
Bonnie Rosati
Bonnie is local rep for SWAC, secretary and treasurer
Pam Clapp is the SWAC administrator
INTER-local contract and articles of agreement, finalized in nov 2002
Joint municipality that allows towns to come together to do something cheaper as a group - 10 towns
Solid waste agreement contract - tells you what you have to do to follow laws
She is the liaison with Kanusa and arranges pick-ups
SWAC arranged planet aide
Administrator watches all laws and passes information to local reps
Benson, West Haven, Fair Haven, Rutland Town, Shrewsbury, Pawlet, Middletown Springs,
Tinmouth, Sudbury (missing one)
Every towns rate is based on per capita
Provides educational programs
Household hazardous wastes days
Healthy homes proposals
NRRA working on compiling statistics state-wide about recycling
Big concern is cost and potential loss of revenue
Nothing made off plastic, lose revenue off paper, cardboard and tin
Commodity market fluctuations .
Concerns:
Overall flow of transfer station
Issues with current infrastructure
Michael Dufour, Kanusa (Don Bortz), Staunton, Pam Clapp input
Committee needs to talk about what they've heard and continue gathering more information
Next steps:
1. Have another meeting with Bob Spaulding present to share with us the numbers/spreadsheets/information he has - Monday, August 27, 2012 @ 6 pm
2. After the 27th, Committee will plan a date/time to share with Selectboard what they've learned and what they still need to know to determine future steps.
Jen Eaton