HomeMy WebLinkAboutNASWAC MeetingMinutes_02.09.06
North Andover Solid Waste Advisory Committee (NASWAC)
Minutes,
Thursday, February 9, 2006
Place/Time:
North Andover DPW Conference Room, 7:00PM
Attendees
: Tina Klein, Chair; Bill Hmurciak, DPW Director; Steve Daly, Vice-
Chair, Karen Kline. (Steve Daly took the minutes.)
January minutes accepted.
October minutes due (Action:Karen)
Old Business
A) Tina reported on the town’s efforts to fund the “Virtual Town Hall” software
package. Budgets are being reviewed to see if the necessary $6000.00 is
available.
B) Per Elizabeth Roe, the font size for OPT editions will be adjusted so it is no
smaller than the font used on the inside (generic) pages.
C) North Andover has qualified for grant money for kitchen scrap buckets and
consumer education materials.
D) The Town-wide Yard Sale discussion centered around the best way to
advertise it. Suggestions: Buy an ad in the Eagle-Tribune., Sandwich signs,
Public Service ads in the N.A. Citizen and Town Crossings, Post signs in local
thrift shops.
E) Spring OPT edition: on schedule, only minor edits needed. Action: Karen to
supply “Middle Moment” Photo. In“What’s Up” we will begin to post the
upcoming NASWAC meetings and events.
New Business
A) Tina filled us in on the “Material Separation Plan 4” which focuses on getting
more mercury out of the trash. One source is the wall thermostats (non-digital).
During remodeling these are often discarded with the demotion waste. Another
source isfluorescent lamps. It is important that Tanning salons recycle their
bulbs because each bed holds between 25 and 90 bulbs, they last about half as
long as a bulb used in the home, and they can contain upto 4 times the amount
of mercury than a regular 8 foot bulb.
B) Tonnage comparison charts. We reviewed the charts showing North Andover
trash and recycling tonnage generated vs. other MA towns of approx. 30,000
population. North Andover is above the average in both trash tonnage generated
andrecycling tonnage collected??. Conclusion: There is still a ways to go to
reduce our incinerated trash figures.
C) North Andover’s Recycling Rate-NASWAC’s goal is to achieve a 20%
recycling rate (exclusive of yard waste, white goods, electronics, hazardous
waste and Christmas trees) by 2007. In calendar year 2005, we hit a recycle rate
of 19.4 %. This success is largely due to the enforcement of the waste ban.
Increasing the rate will be achieved now in smaller increments through yard sales
and a new initiative for metal recycling.
D) Efforts to distribute more red bins: discussedan initiative for new residents to
get started on recycling correctly. Ideas:1) Having real estate agents include the
red bin as a welcome gift. 2) Contacting the Newcomers Club in N.A.Action:
Steve has a contact name to forward to Tina.
E) “In town paper collection bins” have been set up by Abitibi to collect paper for
rebated money. Abitibi pays $5/ton to the sponsor. There is no cost for the
collection bin and no charge to empty it. Action:Tina will contact Jason at Abitibi
to find out what is the tonnage of paper being collected.(This number should get
added to N.A’s recycle rate.) Bill H. is interested in learningif the public schools
could benefit from such a program.
Meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM