At its Jan. 30 meeting, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to adopt the state SMART (Save Money and Reduce Trash) program, joining other Massachusetts communities that have already made this commitment to increase recycling. SMART neighbors include Acton, Bolton, Concord, Groton, Littleton, and Shirley. The vote followed a presentation by Irene Congdon, a municipal assistance coordinator with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) who will assist the town in the transition to the new system.
Congdon told the selectmen that Harvard households are well above average in the amount of trash disposed of annually per household in central Massachusetts. In addition, she said the town fee structure is not sustainable. The current system is a flat fee: If one resident disposes of one bag per week, he or she pays the same as someone who disposes of 10 bags. SMART provides a fee structure in which each resident pays for each bag of trash he or she tosses.
Despite efforts at recycling, 67 percent of trash going to incinerators could be recycled, said Congdon. Because of its financial incentive, the SMART program is one of the best ways for a town to increase recycling, thereby saving money and helping to protect the environment.
The selectmen indicated they support the program, but they had some questions. Selectman Stu Sklar said a number of residents told him they think a lot of recycling just goes to trash anyway. Congdon refuted this assumption by saying that the state waste ban regulation prohibits recyclables—paper, cans, glass, metals—from being burned. She said the state has spent a lot of money to provide facilities that process recyclables.
Congdon pointed out the many additional ways there are to recycle. Furniture can be donated to organizations like the Salvation Army. Even stained or torn clothing can be put in clothing bins to be sorted later, with unwearable clothing sold as cleaning rags.
Bag distribution
Selectman Ken Swanton said he was concerned about implementation of the program—for example, the logistics of buying SMART trash bags and monitoring trash disposal. The question of where to purchase SMART bags will be worked out in the implementation plan, Congdon said. In her experience, illegal dumping is not a problem. “People want to do the right thing,” she said.
Selectmen questioned whether SMART would turn more residents to private waste removal companies. Sharon McCarthy, chairwoman of the Board of Health, said new regulations from the health board mandate that private companies provide recycling bins as well as trash receptacles. She seemed to imply that if people think SMART would be an inconvenience, they should realize that they would also feel pressure to recycle if they switched to curbside pickup.
With the decision to proceed with SMART, Sklar and Swanton, along with Tim Kilhart, director of the Department of Public Works, will join with members of the Board of Health to work out the details of an implementation plan. The first step is to apply for DEP grants that have a deadline of Feb. 15.
