Harvard is changing the fee structure of the Transfer Station effective July 1. Because of this change, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with the details well in advance of the start date. The goal of this change is to lower the costs of waste disposal both to you, the resident, and the town. This is achieved by creating a financial incentive to divert recyclables from the waste stream into the recycling pathway.
To accomplish this, Harvard is adopting a program called SMART (Save Money and Reduce Trash) that encourages recycling by providing detailed recycling resources and by shifting the cost of waste disposal to a fee (for the required town of Harvard trash bags). The $80 fee that each household pays for the sticker will cover the operation of the Transfer Station, including manpower, utilities, shipping, and facilities. The fee collected from the sale of town trash bags will pay for disposal of the waste. There is no additional charge for recycling.
The SMART program is more equitable to all who utilize the Transfer Station and does not require residents to recycle; it just entices us to do so. There has been a 30% to 50% or more reduction in waste and its associated disposal costs in other towns that have already implemented this program.
In the next few weeks, every household will be receiving a mailing with details about the SMART program. We encourage you to read through the materials and plan ahead to obtain the bags and stickers in early June when they become available.
To learn more about SMART and these changes, in advance, please visit the Transfer Station website: www.harvard.ma.us/transfer-station.
Tom Philippou, chair, and members Libby Levison, Rich Maiore, Stu Sklar, and Tim Kilhart
Transfer Station Committee
