Ann Dorfman,
Program Administrator
Curbside Collection, Disposal, and Processing
The municipal curbside collection program provided trash and recycling services to 3,184 households in 2007. During FY07 subscribers to the municipal collection program set out 1,508 tons of mixed paper, 474 tons of commingled containers, and 2,559 tons of trash for collection. The average household that subscribes to the Town program recycled .62 tons of materials and threw away .81 tons of trash.
Curbside Recycling Rate in the Top Ten in the State
Once again residents in Concord’s municipal collection program recycled almost 44% of the materials they set at the curb, making Concord among the top ten curbside recycling programs in the State. This figure does not include yard waste, which residents manage at home or drop off at the Composting Site on Saturdays from April through November. It also does not include information on the more than 1,000 households that contract with private haulers for the collection of their trash and recyclable materials.
Recycling Savings Exceed $1M
The recycling program receives revenue for recycled paper and saves money through cost avoidance by not paying to dispose of this paper as trash. Since the Town began receiving revenue for recycled paper in 1998, the revenue has totaled $316,361 and avoided disposal costs have totaled $911,186, for a savings of $1,227,547. In 2007 the Municipal Collection Program received an average of $23.40 per ton for recycled paper collected at the curb, with revenue of $35,301.90, an increase of almost 11% from last year due to an increase in the value of paper. The revenue was rebated to subscribers of the program in the form of a paper revenue rebate of $7.00 in the Fall of 2007.
The twice-yearly Business Recycling event sponsored by CPW enables local businesses to recyle computer equipment and fluorescent bulbs.
Reuse and Recycling DropOff & SwapOff Rebounds
The Spring DropOff Day on May 5, attracted 908 households, the second largest event ever held.
Over 840 households participated in the October 13 event (this was the largest fall event). Both events went smoothly, thanks to the volunteers that make these events possible. Paper Shredding has been very popular, thanks to Iron Mountain which has donated their services. Some new participants this year have been the Household Goods Recycling Ministry, which collects useable household goods for folks in need, and Cradles to Crayons, which collects children’s items.
Composting Site Turns Yard Waste into Garden Gold
From April through December 2007 residents made over 7,800 visits to the Composting Site, dropping off leaves, grass clippings, and brush. All numbers have increased with the exception of paint and cardboard drop off. The reduced volume of paint is largely a result of educating residents about disposal of unusable latex paint in the trash. The cardboard numbers are lower because of the increased usage of the cardboard dumpsters available to the public 24/7 at Keyes Road. Over 2,000 residents picked up compost made from yard waste for reuse in their own yards. 1,025 Christmas trees were recycled at the composting site, and 98 large bags of Styrofoam were collected for recycling.
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