Email from Town of Acton recreation director Catherine Fochtman on the status of recycling at recreation areas: budget questions, container questions, staffing questions.
Extended Producer Responsibility
Some of Acton’s most expensive trash issues are the handling of hazardous waste, such as car batteries, electronics, fluorescent lightbulbs, mercury-containing thermometers, and so on. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is the notion that manufacturers of goods are responsible for designing and funding plans for the ultimate reuse or disposal of their goods and packaging. Massachusetts… Continue reading →
Trash Pricing
Trash and recycling costs for the Transfer Station’s operations vary widely as markets shift. Recycling sometimes costs money, and sometimes makes money. Trash costs the town many times more than recycling and is more environmentally costly. In 2015 Acton Town Meeting approved, and the Board of Selectmen adopted, a new pricing scheme for trash disposal at the Transfer… Continue reading →
Private Haulers
The Town of Acton currently does not collect information from private trash haulers on trash and recycling rates and amounts for all business trash and the approximately half of residential trash that is privately hauled. A number of Massachusetts towns already require this information from any private haulers doing business within their borders. This… Continue reading →
Improved Communication about Recycling
Recycling correctly is both important and complex: clear communication is key. Green Acton is working with the town on improved communication at the Transfer Station, on the Town website, and elsewhere to provide accurate and current information about the growing options for recycling many kinds of materials. You can join or contact the group working on… Continue reading →
Recycling at Recreation Areas
Almost every day, organized groups — including many young people — gather in large numbers at Acton’s recreation areas. Active play or sports translates to hungry and thirsty people who consume food and drink onsite. What happens when they go to recycle the various left over paper and plastic packaging and containers? In 2014, they… Continue reading →
Progress Report on Swap Shed
A meeting to make progress on an Acton Swap Shed at the Transfer station. July 22, 4pm at the Transfer Station
Materials
The flow of materials through Acton is currently an unsustainable system in many ways:
Background: Swap Shop
People in Acton often have items, which they no longer want or need, that are in fine shape for someone else to use. Imagine a space at the Transfer Station where people could leave such items, and perhaps find other items they might want to take!
Background: Private Hauler regulations
Here’s the brief prepared by Doug Halley (Health Director) and Jim Snyder-Grant (Green Acton) for the Board of Health: