Date: Fri 20-Dec-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

recycline-junk-mail-Hurley

Full Text:

Lack Of Boxes Suspends Junk Mail Recycling

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

The unavailability of heavy corrogated boxes used to collect junk mail at the

town's waste transfer station has forced Public Works Director Fred Hurley to

seek alternatives before the holidays.

"We can't keep enough boxes in there to keep the program going," said Mr

Hurley. "But there are two alternatives we're working on through Housatonic

Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA)."

When the 4X4X4 corrogated boxes were available, the system worked well: they

were filled, stored on pallettes, and loaded by forklift onto a Marcal Company

truck which picked up material every two weeks. The company usually picked up

about 48 boxes at a time, each weighing half a ton, for a total of 20-25,000

tons.

"There's not enough manufacturing using that kind of container, so the

availability of those boxes has dried up," said Mr Hurley. "We have been

getting them back from Marcal, but the quality is so poor because they've been

used by other people, and two-thirds are useless. We've offered to buy them,

but can't get them unless we special-order them and that is very expensive."

Magazines and glossy catalogues are now picked up the first week of each month

through curbside recycling. Mr Hurley is exploring the possibility of weekly

pick-up. But that program doesn't accept regular junk mail.

"Junk mail recycling is very popular. That's why I hope we can go with the

metal box - have it readily available," said Mr Hurley. "If we can get that

method reasonably priced, then we'll do that."

That plan would involve placing a 40-yard roll-off metal container, similar to

that now used to collect glass and metal, at the recycling center. When it was

full, it would be hauled to Danbury where a company would bail the junk mail

and ship it to Marcal or another company.

"At one time, when the market was very different, we were getting paid $40-50

per ton - the program paid for itself. Now we get nothing for it, they

actually charge us for the boxes," said Mr Hurley.

But it makes sense financially because it is a lot less expensive to recycle

materials than dispose of it as solid waste. At $80 per ton, there would be an

annual savings to the town of $40,000 in garbage tip fees by finding a source

that would accept materials for recycling; expenses for recycling would run

perhaps $10-15,000, said the director.

Mr Hurley met with Bob Palmer of HRRA late in the week to identify the costs

connected with collecting junk mail in a metal container at the transfer

station. He is making an effort to have a solution in place by the holidays

because wrapping paper as well as junk mail can be recylced in the "Marcal

Mix."