Recycling Committee

Minutes 08/25/08

Approved 10/07/08

The meeting was held at the Transfer Station to make it easier to discuss and view the current set-up.

Present were Chairman Jim Vaillancourt, Selectmen liaison Ken Curley, Doug Chamberlain, Transfer Station Supervisor Steve Preston, Lucy Edwards, Ben Edwards, and Margaret Walker.

We welcomed Margaret Walker to the committee.

Meeting was called to order at 6:05 pm by Chairman Jim Vaillancourt.

The minutes of April 3rd were approved.

New set-up - Talked about members impressions of the design and flow of the recycling since adding the plastics/glass/tin bin on the hill.
   Comments: Having bins separated by distance creates a good flow.  Some members have made changes at home in sorting their recyclables due to the plastics/glass/clean tin bin. The new compactor is compacting from 12-15 tons per pull ( previous year average was 5-8 tons per pull).

Plastics - There was discussion about the cost of the plastics.  The plan was to piggy back the plastics on the top of the paper compacter to eliminate transportation fees.  Most weeks we are filling two plastics bins to one paper bin which means a transportation charge for the additional pull. The need for financial statistics was noted to determine if the decreased cost of the compacter transportation is off-setting the increased plastic transportation costs.
Two plans were discussed:
 1. Purchase of a plastic/tin shredder to cut down on the volume in the bin.  Steve presented an estimate from Compactors, Inc for $10,675.  This would allow us to put more plastics in one bin and decrease the need for the extra transportation costs.
 2. Purchase of portable kerosene bailer.  By bailing the plastics by number we could generate more income.

 Steve said he will ask both Lamprey and Ponderosa for this year's figures and ask Kathy for transportation bills. He also said he would get a cost estimate for a portable kerosene bailer.

Swap Shop - Steve said He and Jim are routinely organizing and cleaning up the area. We are currently looking for shelving units that residents may bring in to dispose of that we can use in the building. Items have been coming and going. The Swap Shop seems to be working well now.  Talked briefly about adding to the list of items not taken.  No action was were taken at this time to change the list of acceptable items.
The turnover of some items, particularly books was discussed.  As items collect and are not reused, we will need a method to determine what to dispose of to make room for new items. Decided to use a voluntary sticker system and ask residents to place a label on each item with the date it was brought in.
How many people are using the Swap Shop was discussed.  It was decided to have an informal survey by asking people to indicate if they brought an item, browsed, or took an item. Jim suggested placing stickers in the building for residents to use and date when the item is left. Jim said he will place a poster on door for people to check off if they left items, browsed, or took an item for reuse.

Customer Service - The committee talked about getting Transfer Center personnel shirts and possibly caps.  We  believe this will help people new to the area or here for the summer to identify Center personnel to ask them for advice or have their questions answered.  The Town administrator is currently looking into that for all Town employees.  With the current fiscal status any action on this will most likely occur in next year's budget. Jim will send a letter to the Town Administrator for the Recycle Committee supporting the purchase of shirts

Misc topics - What is “clean” glass and tin was discussed.  A basic rinsing out of the item is necessary. Sticky items should be cleaned more thoroughly.  
 There was a discussion about whether plastic caps are recyclable.  Not sure, however, we need the caps removed from the containers so they can be squished more easily.
 All plastics with a triangle and number, minus their caps can be placed in the plastic/glass/tin bin.  Steve said he will find out if caps are recyclable.

Signage - Steve has been trying various homemade signs to find the right language to help residents place recyclables in their correct location.  Once effective signage is determined, we will look into various options for more professional looking signs.

Transfer Station Usage - To determine the volume of residents using the Transfer Station Steve will be looking into the possibility of getting a car counter and placing it at the entrance of the Transfer Station for two weeks to get an idea of the volume of vehicles by day, and possibly by hour of the day.
Next Meeting Monday,  October 6  7-8:30 pm   Agenda: analysis of transportation costs

Meeting was adjourned at 7:00 pm.