Waste and Recycling Committee

The Waste and Recycling Committee was formed in response to numerous complaints brought to the attention of the Board of Health and the Board of Selectmen regarding the 3-4 trash hauling companies authorized to pick up waste and recycling material in our town.

The concerns raised, focused around several areas:

The unreliability of providers to pick up waste and recycling consistently as scheduled, on a weekly basis, resulting in waste and recycling sitting on the side of the road for multiple weeks.

The staggered schedule of the pickups requiring trash containers to be out on the side of the road 4-5 days a week.

The ever-increasing costs from one year to the next without recourse.

The need for 3-4 large trash trucks to be traveling through the town and down each residential street on a weekly basis.  

The failure of the companies to monitor and enforce state recycling requirements.

The wide disparity in fees between the haulers and the penalties imposed to change providers.

The need for greater regulation and enforcement authority on the part of the town when trash hauling companies fail to meet agreed upon standards of service.

The Waste and Recyling Committee is researching what surrounding towns are doing to address these issues, exploring the availability of statewide resources and guidelines, and the benefits of a possible single hauler system without creating a burden on the town.