Recycling Programs That Work
Amy Donovan
Program Director
Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Greenfield, MA
Overview of presentation
About my organization
Recycling in Western Mass
About Commercial Composting (CC): the
climate change and farm connection
CC programs that work: schools,
transfer stations, businesses
Waste Diversion: Fairs, Festivals, Races
Hazardous Waste and EE
Next steps = more sustainable in 2012
Franklin County Solid Waste
Management District
22 member towns: 30 schools, 17 transfer
stations, 4 municipal compost programs
Bernardston
Buckland
Charlemont
Colrain
Conway
Deerfield
Erving
Gill
Hawley
Heath
Leverett
Leyden
Montague
New Salem (CC since 2009)
Northfield (CC since 2008)
Orange (CC 2011 pilot)
Rowe
Shelburne
Sunderland
Warwick
Wendell
Whately (CC since 2003)
Solid Waste District Highlights:
Recycling coordinator for Franklin County
Annual Household Hazardous Waste Day
Twice annual Bulky Waste Day (+ e-waste)
Sharps Disposal Program
What Do I Do With…? 350 items listed

www.franklincountywastedistrict.org
MassRecycle’s Recycler of the Year:



Solid Waste District, Municipal Program, 1996
Jan Ameen, Executive Director, 2005
Amy Donovan, Program Director, 2011

www.massrecycle.org
Springfield Materials Recycling
Facility (MRF)
Solid Waste District on MRF Advisory Board
Board = annual Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Guide
MRF pays 74 western Mass municipalities $15$45/ton for recyclables
www.springfieldmrf.org
Commercial Composting
“Commercial Composting”=
“Organics Recycling”=
“On-Farm”=
“Food Waste”
…goes way beyond the backyard bin!
Commercial Composting accepts materials
previously destined for trash = less trash
Generally accepts:
All food including items not composted at home:
 Meat, chicken, fish, bones, dairy, fats, oils
 (+ bread, veggies, fruits)
All paper including non recyclable:
 Paper cups, paper plates, napkins, paper towels, waxed
cardboard, waxed paper, soiled pizza boxes, soiled paper,
soiled paper bags, flour/ sugar bags, egg cartons

Wood: skewers, chopsticks, coffee stirrers, sporks
“Compostable plastic:” PLA cups, certain bags
NO plastic, metal, glass, foil, etc.!
CC’s benefits to participating
organizations and planet:
Save money on tipping fees:
 MSW (trash): $75/ ton
 Compostables: $45/ ton
Reduce trash p/u or dumpster size and save on
trash disposal /hauling costs
Consumers/ costumers appreciate green action
Supports local commercial composting facilities/
farms = local business
Saves space in landfills
Creates valuable soil out of waste
Mitigates climate change!
Composting helps slow
Climate Change
Climate Change is caused by greenhouse gases in
our atmosphere.
Greenhouse Gases:
Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Nitrous Oxide
(School slides)
When food waste (and paper) decay in a landfill, methane is
released (due to anaerobic conditions).
Methane is a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than
carbon dioxide.
Landfill Gas Recovery not always a solution.
The Climate Change
Connection
Methane pipe at
a landfill
Why doesn’t composting release methane? Because
oxygen is part of the composting process (aerobic).
There is no oxygen in a landfill.
More info:
www.cool2012.com
Bear Path Farm, Whately, MA
Windrows
Martin’s Farm in Greenfield accepts compost from schools:
Pioneer HS,
Turners Falls HS
Northfield ES,
Bernardston ES,
Deerfield ES,
Erving ES,
Sunderland ES,
Amherst, more..
Windrow turner
at Martin’s Farm,
Greenfield, MA
transfer
stations:
Northampton,
Northfield,
markets:
Big Y stores,
Greenfield Stop
& Shop,
McCusker’s,
Greenfields
Market,
plus
restaurants…
Windrows at Martin’s Farm
Whately Transfer Station:
first municipal program in the state
Northfield Transfer Station: 2 yd dumpster
Saves town $1,384/ year
School composting
2 yard compost dumpster
Gill Elementary: food, milk
cartons, paper in green
compostable bag
Bag= “Comp-lete” from
Fortune Plastics
Schools
Free resources:
MA DEP Green Team: free recycling/
composting equipment, activities, contests
 www.thegreenteam.org
ACE Climate Assembly: free assembly
 www.acespace.org
Shelburne Falls
Compost Collaborative
Blue Rock Restaurant, Café Martin,
Mocha Maya’s, Mo’s Fudge Factor, West End Pub
Shared compost dumpster
Cost is shared according to each B’s volume
SFABA and FCSWMD manage program
Shredded paper: Mirick Insurance, Trailside Health
Organics Haulers
Triple T Trucking, Brattleboro: dumpsters
 Services Pioneer valley
 Pricing: $70/ 2 yd., $130/ 4 yd., p/u weekly
 Tips @ Martin’s Farm, Greenfield; Shadow Brook
Farm, Hampden

(802) 254-5388, tripletrubbishremoval.com
Alternative Recycling: toters

413-587-4005, alternativerecycling.com
Allied Waste: dumpsters

413-592-9411
Waste Diversion/ Reduction:
Fairs, Festivals, Races
Solid Waste
District’s
Special Event Bin
Loaner Program
Pictured: Recycling
Volunteers at
Conway Festival of
the Hills
Franklin County Fair
25,000 attendees, 4 day Fair
2011 Fair: 29% diversion rate
50% savings: disposal costs
Hazardous Waste and EE
Please help educate!
Mercury Thermostats &
Thermometers:
… should never be thrown in the
trash. They contain mercury,
which is toxic.
… can be brought to the The Franklin
County Solid Waste Management
District office at 50 Miles St. in Greenfield
and be properly disposed of for no charge.
(413-772-2438)
…call your municipality to see if accepted.
Also, CFLs, batteries, cell phones, e-waste….
Next Steps: Increasing
Sustainability in 2012
57 western Mass towns/ waste districts sell low cost
compost bins! ($25-$50)
Reduce, Reuse Recycle Guide
Recycle rechargeable batteries, HHW
Organizations: ID waste destinations,
plenty of bins/ signage, educate users
Reduce disposables
Emerging (local) technologies- food waste
If all else fails, ask me how to green your
organization!
Questions?
Amy Donovan
Program Director
Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
50 Miles Street
Greenfield, MA 01301
Tel: (413) 772-2438
amy@franklincountywastedistrict.org
www.franklincountywastedistrict.org/