hamilton’s curbside organics program
DESCRIPTION
Municipal Workshop- Reaching Towards Zero Waste: Gretel Clark, Chair of Hamilton's Recycling Committee presents Hamilton as a case study for it's implementation of recycling and diversion of organics.TRANSCRIPT
HAMILTON’S CURBSIDE ORGANICS PROGRAM
Gretel Clark
Recycle Committee Chair, Hamilton, MA
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)
2,400 households
A little more than 8,000 residents
BEACON OF HOPE
Today, Hamiltonians produce
<.5 tons solid waste; recycling 50%
of total waste; 10.56% is composted
kitchen organic waste.
Some Trashy Facts…
Average MA
household produces
one ton of solid
waste annually
Hamiltonians
produced 1.22 tons
of solid waste
annually before
2006
2006: Status Quo
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY120
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons
2007: State’s solid waste bans implemented but not enforced.
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY120
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons
2008: Initial Waste Reduction Program
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY120
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons
2009: First Pilot Organics Program (75 families)
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY120
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons
2010: Second Pilot Organics Program (600 families)
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY120
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons
2011: Continuation of second pilot
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY120
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons
2012: New SMART Trash Program Instituted
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY120
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons
Keys to Success• Find a hauler• Find a composter• Design a pilot program• Keep good records• Court political leaders• Institute a PAYT program• Gather a crew of dedicated enthusiastic unconquerable
organizers• Establish a Trash Hot Line• Put together a strong education program• Implement bi-weekly solid waste collection program• Offer free compost to participants
Lessons Learned• People will pay for
organic collection• Organics are ~ ½
of trash weight/hh• 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 • Longer term plans: to install an anaerobic digester on the
landfill site