MEETING MUNICIPAL RECYCLING GOALS
Recycling Goals for 2008 - from Dec. 6, 2007 Minutes
The recycling goals set by each municipality and each school district as reported at the meeting
follow:
Town of Redding – Tom Newsome
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Develop a standard recycling program to give to schools on a CD or DVD
Maintain town’s status as a model recycling community as designated by DEP
Work to keep costs to minimum for the town with contracts expiring in 2009
Town of New Fairfield – Steve Merullo
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Collect office paper in Town Hall for recycling
Follow through with paper at the collection area to insure it’s being kept separate
Post guidelines for recycling in Town Hall
New Fairfield Public Schools – Phil Ross
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Review and begin to replace polystyrene and Styrofoam products from school
kitchens with more environmentally friendly products.
Collect and recycle plastic drink bottles in the Middle School.
Collect and recycle plastic drink bottles on the Rebel Turf Field.
Town of New Milford – Suzanne Von Holt
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Set default for two-sided use on town copiers and use both sides of all pieces of paper
generated in the town hall.
Collect cans and bottles in town hall for recycling.
Review cleaning products used and make changes where appropriate for less toxic,
but effective, alternatives.
Turn off lights in offices on sunny days.
Town of Bethel – Amy Oddo (Unofficial participant)
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Have First Selectman appoint a representative for the Town of Bethel to the RRTF.
Bethel Public Schools – Bob Germinaro
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Collect bottles and cans in classrooms and cafeterias for recycling.
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Supply paper recycling bins to every classroom.
Have each Principal set their own school’s new recycling initiative for 2008.
Include a statement in each bid spec for the district stating a preference for recycled
products and doing business with companies that recycle and otherwise respect the
environment.
Standardize the town and school recycling programs.
Recognize employee recycling efforts in their yearly reviews.
City of Danbury – Ted Cutsumpas
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Supply office paper recycling baskets for every office, desk and copy machine in City
Hall, Senior Center, Library, Police Department, etc.
Insure maintenance company maintains separation of recyclables for recycling truck
pickup.
City will purchase only recycled paper.
Increase the time and stops for the City Recycling Truck including schools and City
Hall.
Increase resident’s awareness of recycling, the law and its benefits to the environment
and the community.
Brookfield Public Schools – Lisa Morelli
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Obtain funding from the Brookfield Education Foundation for the District’s recycling
initiatives.
Provide indoor and outdoor recycling receptacles at all schools.
Increase awareness of the District’s recycling initiatives through the District website.
Town of Newtown – Arlene Miles
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Educate the community about how recycling impacts the environment.
Get the word out to the community about the town’s curbside recycling program.
Take 3 test neighborhoods, sample the number of households currently recycling,
send a different ad to each neighborhood, then re-sample the households to determine
which ad was most effective in increasing curbside recycling.
Town of Sherman – Ruth Byrnes
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Educate the adult population, especially those without children in school, about
recycling.
Work with the Sherman Merchants and Tradesmen Association to sponsor two
roadside cleanups.
Place more recycling containers in all town buildings.
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Continue to implement the recommendations made by NERC from its September
review of town and school recycling efforts.
Explore a food waste recycling program with the schools, American Pie restaurant
and IGA grocery store in town.
The Sherman School – Mike Pascento
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Continue plastic bottle recycling but try to wean out use of plastic bottles at the
school by encouraging reusable water bottles for students and coffee mugs for
teachers.
Students who “get caught” recycling get trash cash bucks that they can use to buy an
extra recess, lunch with a favorite teacher, etc.
Eliminate use of Styrofoam trays in school cafeteria.
Provide drop off opportunities once or twice a year at the school for children whose
parents don’t recycle at home.
Third grade to take part in the Reuse-a-Shoe program in Spring 2008.
Huckleberry Hill and Center Elementary Schools, Brookfield – Dorina Leslie
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Continue recycling water bottles, office paper and cardboard and report results on a
regular basis.
Receive funding from either the Town or Board of Education budgets to support the
school-wide efforts more fully with proper bins and equipment needed.
Continue educating students and staff on the importance of not only recycling but
also reducing and reusing for a greener planet.
Recycling bulletin board in both schools.
Formation of student Green Teams focusing on environmental issues.
Replace Styrofoam trays in cafeterias.
Standardize town and school recycling efforts.
New Milford Public Schools – Tom McSherry (sent in after the meeting)
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Push the schools to be more involved and visible in their efforts towards recycling.
Get more "buy in" from staff on recycling.
Get more “buy in” from school visitors who still throw recyclables in the trash even
though there are recycling bins right next to them.
Progress to Date on 2008 Recycling Goals - from September 4, 2008 Minutes
Members present reported progress to date on the recycling goals they set in December 2007.
Town of Redding – Tom Newsome
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Develop a standard recycling program to give to schools on a CD or DVD
 Goal too aggressive. Will not be able to do.
Maintain town’s status as a model recycling community as designated by DEP
 Met goal
Work to keep costs to minimum for the town with contracts expiring in 2009
 Met goal
New Fairfield Public Schools – Phil Ross
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Review and begin to replace polystyrene and Styrofoam products from school
kitchens with more environmentally friendly products.
 Eliminated plates from school cafeterias and using fewer trays. Will chip
away at totally eliminating these products every year as budgets permit.
Collect and recycle plastic drink bottles in the Middle School.
 Collecting cans, bottles and plastics in all schools.
Collect and recycle plastic drink bottles on the Rebel Turf Field.
 Still to be done.
Town of New Milford – Suzanne Von Holt
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Set default for two-sided use on town copiers and use both sides of all pieces of paper
generated in the town hall.
 Instituted white paper recycling at Town Hall
Collect cans and bottles in town hall for recycling.
 Not yet in place
Review cleaning products used and make changes where appropriate for less toxic,
but effective, alternatives.
 Not yet any time to do
Turn off lights in offices on sunny days.
 Implemented by S. Von Holt
New – Became an America the Beautiful town
Town of Bethel – Amy Oddo (Unofficial participant)
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Have First Selectman appoint a representative for the Town of Bethel to the RRTF.
 Goal not met!
Bethel Public Schools – Bob Germinaro
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Collect bottles and cans in classrooms and cafeterias for recycling.
 Met goal
Supply paper recycling bins to every classroom.
 Met goal
Have each Principal set their own school’s new recycling initiative for 2008.
 Not enough time to do yet
Include a statement in each bid spec for the district stating a preference for recycled
products and doing business with companies that recycle and otherwise respect the
environment.
 Met goal
Standardize the town and school recycling programs.
 HS custodial staff turnover high and new staff needs training to move
forward. Town Park and Rec does not buy into need for recycling on
fields.
Recognize employee recycling efforts in their yearly reviews.
 Not yet met
Town of Newtown – Arlene Miles
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Educate the community about how recycling impacts the environment.
 In progress – has attended town functions, made presentations in the
schools and spoken to civic organizations about recycling. Still difficult to
get buy in on recycling from school system.
Get the word out to the community about the town’s curbside recycling program.
 See above
Take 3 test neighborhoods, sample the number of households currently recycling,
send a different ad to each neighborhood, then re-sample the households to determine
which ad was most effective in increasing curbside recycling.
 Lost student mentee who was going to do this project. Can no longer do.
Town of Sherman – Ruth Byrnes
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Educate the adult population, especially those without children in school, about
recycling.
 Implemented Sherman Green Community Pledge program, recycling
webpage in progress, implemented yogurt container recycling program
Work with the Sherman Merchants and Tradesmen Association to sponsor two
roadside cleanups.
 Spring event was huge success. Another planned for the Fall.
Place more recycling containers in all town buildings.
 Tried for a number of grants to purchase containers but have been
unsuccessful so far in obtaining funding
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Continue to implement the recommendations made by NERC from its September
review of town and school recycling efforts.
 Did not report on
Explore a food waste recycling program with the schools, American Pie restaurant
and IGA grocery store in town.
 On hold until New Milford Farms odor issue is resolved.
The Sherman School – Mike Pascento
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Continue plastic bottle recycling but try to wean out use of plastic bottles at the
school by encouraging reusable water bottles for students/staff and coffee mugs for
teachers.
 Met goal
Students who “get caught” recycling get trash cash bucks that they can use to buy an
extra recess, lunch with a favorite teacher, etc.
 Met goal. No longer requires treat to elicit desired behavior.
Eliminate use of Styrofoam trays in school cafeteria.
 Met goal
Provide drop off opportunities once or twice a year at the school for children whose
parents don’t recycle at home.
 Did not report on
Third grade to take part in the Reuse-a-Shoe program in Spring 2008.
 Met goal. Will participate again in 2009.
New – School calendar only available online not sent home in every student backpack
New – 3rd grade teachers doing a bottle drive this school year
New – School staff meeting with maintenance company and hauler to see how school
could do a better job and recycle more
New- School will have a Recycling Committee this year
New Milford Public Schools – Tom McSherry
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Push the schools to be more involved and visible in their efforts towards recycling.
 Making slow progress
Get more "buy in" from staff on recycling.
 Still work to be done. Have a few staff members willing to help/support
recycling program
Get more “buy in” from school visitors who still throw recyclables in the trash even
though there are recycling bins right next to them.
 Still a big issue with outdoor and high visibility events the worst
Town of Ridgefield – Wendy Lionetti
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Collecting recyclables on fields still a big issue. Wants to involve more
people to take responsibility such as sports parents, etc. Can’t be done by
only a few.
Recycling instituted for concert in the park, sidewalk sales, etc. Park and
Rec collects bags and takes to local recycling center.
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Updates on 2008 Goals - from October 2, 2008 Minutes
Brookfield
D. Leslie submitted the following for the record about Brookfield schools’ progress towards its
goals for 2008: “We accomplished our goal of recycling plastic bottles, office paper and
cardboard. Recycling is going strong in Brookfield, and we hope to educate more parents every
month about the importance of going green. We’ve accomplished this by selling reusable
grocery bags at school events and reporting the amount of trees saved and plastic bottles recycled
every month. The students have also given tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle every week,
and these tips are printed in the monthly newsletter which goes home to parents. Presently,
Huckleberry Hill School is hoping to build a greenhouse on school grounds and implement a
school food waste (composting) program. I have contacted the Mansfield Middle School and am
hoping to set up a field trip to their school. Teachers, curriculum leaders and PTO parents will
learn how the school goes about composting and how they organize their spring plant sale. The
group is applying for zoning applications and grants from the Brookfield Education Foundation.
Everyone is very excited!” L. Morelli reported that the High School is creating some type of
environmental program in honor of P. J. Zgusenski. D. Leslie also noted that Center School will
do a 3rd grade recycling refresher during the year and Whisconier School is now recycling print
cartridges.
Danbury
T. Cutsumpas reported that the City recently entered into a contract with AWD to collect all
paper at 16 city buildings. Under the agreement, AWD will supply a bin for each floor in each
building and will pay the City $100 per month if minimum tonnage guarantees are met. The
agreement is expected to save disposal fees for the City. The Danbury school system is using
Hudson Baylor for paper recycling.
New Milford
T. McSherry announced that the New Milford schools’ food waste and serve ware will be going
to New Milford Farms to be recycled within the next two weeks. Garick, the owners of New
Milford Farms, is provided the collection for the organic waste.
Ridgefield
E. Rossini noted that the Boy Scouts are collecting deposit bottles in town with the proceeds
going to Habitat for Humanity. RACE is addressing confusing signage at the Recycling Center
where Hudson Baylor will soon start taking clamshells and yogurt containers. The recycling
bins are working for the youth football program. And there will be recycling information
available at Fall in Love with Ridgefield Day.
Sherman
M. Pascento was pleased to report that the Sherman School’s hauler is now able to accept
cardboard and newspaper mixed in the same container, alleviating a space problem for recycling
containers at the school.