2013 rhode island composting conference gretel clark recycle committee chair, hamilton, ma
TRANSCRIPT
2013 RHODE ISLAND COMPOSTING CONFERENCE
Town of Hamilton
30 miles north of Boston on Cape Ann
Tipping Trash $70/ton
Town of Hamilton
Semi rural, conservative, New England town (15 square miles)
2600 households
A little more than 8,000 residents
Today, Hamiltonians produce
<.5 tons solid waste; recycling 50%;
10.56% is composted kitchen
organic waste.
Some facts…
Average MA
household
produces one tone
of solid waste
annually
Hamiltonians
produced 1.22
tons waste
annually before
2006
2006: Status Quo
2007: Blue Boxes Introduced
2008: Waste Reduction Program
2009: Eliminate Organics from SW
2010: Green Gallon Barrels Introduced
2011: Special Split Body Truck Built
2012: New Trash Program Instituted
Keys to Success• Find a hauler• Find a composter• Design a pilot program• Court political leaders• Institute a PAYT program• Charge high rate for overage bags• Gather a crew of dedicated enthusiastic unconquerable
organizers• Establish a Trash Hot Line• Put together a strong education program• Find funding• Implement bi-weekly solid waste collection program
Lessons Learned• Larvae in hot
summer months• Freezing in cold
winter months• Animal control• Overcoming the
“ick” factor
Benefits To the Town
•Trash costs can be cut in half•New bag revenue (poor recyclers are now paying for
the trash costs, not all their neighbors who provide the tax base.)
•Anaerobic digester