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| LONGMEADOW The town of Longmeadow last week released a reminder about the new Waste Reduction Program. Longmeadow's new Waste Reduction Program started July 1, 2006. The new program requires: One 36-gal barrel or 40 lbs/ household per week. Additional waste must be disposed of in Town approved bags. Bags are available for purchase at local retail stores. Cost of each bag is $1.75 Excess trash not in town approved bags will not be picked up. Maximizing your curbside recycling (paper/ cardboard and containers) will result in increased revenue for the town. The town has created a list of frequently asked questions to assist residents. Q: Who proposed the Waste Reduction Program? (WRP) A: The Longmeadow Recycling Commission, at the direction of the Select Board, conducted a review of various waste reduction options. The reason for the review was even with a very comprehensive curbside recycling program, our trash volume and associated costs continue to rise while recycling is decreasing. The guidelines followed by the Recycling Commission in its review were to find ways to reduce the cost of disposal, have a minimal change in the life style of our residents and be a fair program whose impact is shared proportionally by all demographic groups. After considerable review, the Recycling Commission proposed an incentive based waste reduction program to the Select Board, who voted to adopt the program effective July 1, 2006. Q: What is Longmeadow's New Waste Reduction Program all about? A: The Waste Reduction Program will help reduce solid waste management costs for both households and the town. It provides basic trash collection and disposal service for all residents, has an incentive to increase waste diversion and recycling and it is a more equitable system for sharing costs. Q: Do other cities and towns in Massachusetts have Waste Reduction programs? A: Yes. Currently, there are about 117 municipalities in Massachusetts with waste reduction programs. In our region, about 46 towns have an incentive based waste reduction program including Hampden, Northampton, Wilbraham, Amherst, Greenfield, East Longmeadow and Shutesbury. Q: When will the new Waste Reduction Program begin? A: Longmeadow's new Waste Reduction program will began on July 1, 2006. Q: How will the New Waste Reduction Program work? A: With this Waste Reduction Program, the first bag or barrel of trash each week will be collected at no additional charge. (Maximum volume 36 gallon /maximum weight 40 lbs.) Excess trash can be disposed of in specially marked bags, Longmeadow's Official Town Trash bags. Q: Will this new program cost me more money? A: With this Waste Reduction Program, residents only pay for the excess amount of trash they generate after the first bag or barrel. Longmeadow's Waste Reduction Program would provide a basic level of service to all households, allowing the first bag or barrel to be collected at no charge. Most residents (average families and good recyclers) will be able to fit all of their trash into the one free container allowed each week. Most households will experience little or no additional cost from this program. Residents can save money if they recycle all the materials that are accepted by the Town's recycling hauler, and do this to the maximum extent possible. Free blue recycling bins and "Recycling" decals are available at the DPW office to help with your recycling. Compost bins are also available at a reduced cost. |