Talks Trash
To the Editor:
I am very concerned about misstatements regarding curbside recycling that appeared in a Newtown Bee article about our First Selectman’s conversation with Newtown senior citizens. The comments that only a minimum amount of materials in curbside recycling bins get recycled and due to contamination most are thrown in the trash are both absolutely false statements, and I fear may discourage people from taking the time to separate their recyclables as mandated by state law. The truth in our region is once curbside recyclables have been cleaned, 100% are recycled.
I have been Newtown’s Member of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) since 1998, for the 10 years I was First Selectman and reappointed by the First Selectmen who succeeded me. Assisting Newtown and the other member towns with their obligations for the mandated removal of recyclable materials from solid waste trash disposal is one of HRRA’s primary functions.
HRRA was formed in 1986 when my father was First Selectman. Our town was a founding member of today’s 14 town region, established to help towns dispose of solid waste trash at a Bridgeport facility that converts solid waste trash to energy instead of continued disposal in landfills (dumps) that were running out of space and polluting or in danger of polluting our drinking water.
HRRA applied for grants to help implement Newtown’s free, voluntary food scraps organics composting program at our transfer station and, thanks to another grant, will soon be available in special containers at other additional sites around town. It is estimated that as much as 22% of the solid waste trash we generate consists of food scraps organics. If everyone participated, both they personally and the town as a whole could save a significant amount of money on the cost of solid waste trash disposal.
HRRA also negotiated a contract with a company that accepts Newtown’s recycled glass bottles and jars for free, saving the town taxpayers the prior cost of $95/ton glass added to our tipping fee. This is a voluntary program that many Newtowners participate in by separating clean glass bottles and jars (with caps and corks removed) and bringing them to our transfer station rather than in their curbside recycling bins. Unfortunately, broken and dirty glass in recycling bins is one of the major contaminants that must be removed from recycled materials at the Material Recovery Facility in Shelton, where our material is sent to be sorted and baled for market.
This and other non-recyclable material cost an extra $27.59/ton added to the basic recycling tipping fee of $43.24 for a total tipping fee cost of $70.83/ton. This is still much less than the tipping fee for solid waste trash of $101.06/ton for member towns and $106.60/ton for private haulers.
HRRA provides many other services, including student classroom education, and organizing and administering the Household Hazardous Waste events occurring several times per year in different area towns including one in Newtown. Please visit the website: hrra.org for more information about recycling and HRRA’s many services.
Herb Rosenthal
Newtown
Herb,
With all due respect, I believe you are misinformed and your numbers are out of date.
When I was on the LC we were told by our experts (the folks Jeff relies on) that 0% of the glass in single stream gets recycled, and it contaminates others commodities, making them less desirable for these markets. Sorted glass however is 100% recycled. There was a program to remove glass, but it was unsuccessful. Plastics are often listed as “recycled,” but many end up as trash in 3rd world countries since China has stopped taking it. There are several articles about this. 2022 Boston Globe “Plastic Recycling is a Myth” for example.
Single Stream Recycling actually became more expensive than garbage, creating an incentive to dump it as garbage or reject the loads (a complaint of the local haulers.) This has been documented on the record by Jen from HRRA and in state papers like the CT Mirror, again I can send you articles on the subject.
If the goal is to recycle as much of our waste as possible, sorted recycling has far more efficacy than single stream, and a relatively smaller increase in sorted would offset changes in curbside and be a net positive for the environment.
Ryan, As I stated in my letter, I am Newtown’s representative to HRRA and have been for over 26 years. Jen Heaton Jones of HRRA is the expert in our region and is recognized statewide and nationally, that is where I get my information. You are the one who is mistaken and unfortunately gave Jeff faulty information in a report that he relied upon. You are citing national statistics, not what happens in our region. Our glass program is working for those who take it to the transfer station as requested, As I said in my letter, glass that is pit in bins does break and cause contamination and extra cost for cleaning at our materials recycling center, but once cleaned, 100% of the cleaned recyclables are recycled!