Sherborn Recycling: Changing the World One Community at a Time....

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SHERBORN RECYCLING COMMITTEE

June 26, 2007

The 207^th meeting of the Recycling Committee was held at the Town Hall on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.

Present: Carol Rubenstein (chair), Andrea Brennan, Ron Buckler, Ardys Flavelle and Karl Ludwig.

Not Present:  Susan Higley, Jack Mulhall, Susan Peirce, and Peggy Weber.

I.       Minutes of the May Meeting were approved. 

            Thank you’s:

·        Ardys for her hard work to institutionalize recycling at Pine Hill School

·        Andrea, Amy Moore and Ardys for their work at the Swap Shop

·        Karl for writing the May minutes

·        Andrea for her work on the welcome bins

·        Ron for taking delivery of the new shed early one day last month

·        The Highway Department for moving the container next to the Swap Shop

II .Announcements, Old and New Business

1. The Committee discussed a bad bee problem that Amy Moore had reported at the Swap Shop.  Ron will try to clear out the nests.
2. Carol announced that the DEP’s calculation of our current recycling rate is 34%.  Preliminary estimates suggest that the Town’s recycling rate as measured with our standard procedures will likely have gone up slightly during the past fiscal year.
3. Carol and Ron noted that there are two new people, Steve and Arthur, working at the Recycling Center, replacing Al and Paul.
4. The Committee discussed the current state of the green and white recycling barrels.  Carol loaned them to the Pine Hill Barn Sale to promote recycling, but it’s unclear where one of the barrels is currently.  Ron will investigate further.
5. Since he began keeping track last fall, Ron reports that there have been 100 matresses, 62 box springs, 27 sofas, and 14 overstuffed chairs left for disposal at the Recycling Center.
6. Carol noted that the website will need more work than the Committee had previously authorized.  It was therefore decided to budget more funds for Dianne Veitch to update it.

     VOTE: The Committee voted to spend up to an additional $225 for maintenance of the       Town’s recycling website, for a total expense of $450 this fiscal year.

7. Everyone on the Committee present agreed to help write part of an article describing how the materials from Sherborn are recycled, i.e. what’s done to make them useful.
8. The Committee discussed the need to replenish the compost bin stockpile for sales to Town residents.  It was unclear at the time of the meeting how many remained.

      VOTE: The Committee voted to spend up to $400 on compost bins if necessary to       replenish our stock.

9. The use of the new small recycling shed was discussed by the Committee.  We need to phone Interstate Batteries to see if they take NiCd batteries.  The current sign on the recycling shed says that mercury items and batteries are to be placed there.  The Committee discussed to what extent battery and thermometer recycling should be based at the Center.
10. The Committee discussed the need to purchase more recycling t-shirts since we have few left.

      VOTE: The Committee voted to spend $426 for a new order of t-shirts.

11. Ardys discussed the extensive work that she has done to institutionalize recycling at Pine Hill School.  Unfortunately a commitment has not yet been made to remove wasteful plastic-wrapped cutlery.
12. Tonnage report:

      In June –

                  Refuse: 13 trips to Millbury, same as May and tonnage up.

                  Paper: 9 trips, 3 more than previous month and tonnage is up. 

                  Commingled: 3 trips, 2 fewer than last month and tonnage is down slightly.

• Please call Carol  (508-653-8794)  if you are going to be  absent from a meeting

• Recruit new members 

Next Meetings – July 18, Aug. 8, at 7:30 at the Town Hall.        

Recent Recycling Center statistics:

Respectfully Submitted,

Karl Ludwig – Secretary for June 2007