Town not 'wasting' time in recycling effort

NORTH SMITHFIELD - Though residents have raised concerns about the town's new recycling initiative, called "Waste Not," Recycling Coordinator Donna Kaehler said the state is decreasing the municipal trash caps for cities and towns all over the state, forcing the town to keep plowing through with its "no bin, no barrel" policy.

The state does "have a cap that reduces each year," Kaehler said. "If we kept our old program, we would have been over our cap and we'd be paying more for the same amount of garbage."

Last year, the state allotted 3,948 tons for North Smithfield. In turn, the town spent $120,320 to dispose of 3,760 tons of trash.

This year's municipal trash cap is 3,644 tons, and according to Town Administrator Paulette Hamilton, the taxpayers would have to pay $6,730 more to dispose of the same amount of trash from the previous year.

"By taking a small step to recycle more and put less in the garbage bags, we can keep costs low," Hamilton said in a Recycling Department press release. "I've heard people complain about where their tax dollars go. Here's an example of where some of it goes when it can be avoided."

The program, which goes into effect Nov. 16, will mandate every household to place recycled goods at curbside in order to receive trash collection service. Kaehler said the main issue with residents, however, is the two-barrel limit for non-recyclable waste. Though there's no limit to the amount of recycle bins a household can put on the sidewalk, non-recyclable waste exceeding the two 36-gallon trash barrel limit must be placed in official town trash bags at $2 per bag.

Thirteen of the 29 Rhode Island communities statewide have a mandatory recycling program in place. Of those areas, both Smithfield and Cumberland have implemented a no bin, no barrel program, while Woonsocket and Central Falls regulations involve a trash limit.

In researching other Rhode Island cities and towns for the initiative, the Recycling Department discovered several communities were employing a "no bin, no barrel" policy without a trash limit.

"We decided the no bin, no barrel policy in other towns was not enough," Kaehler said. "We needed to put a limit on the trash pick up."

Hamilton said the coalition instilled the two-barrel limit so that residents would be forced to think differently about the way they sort their trash.

"People don't realize that when they start thinking differently, that toilet paper roll or that paper towel roll really makes a big difference," Hamilton said.

This also means residents must leave their recycle bins out until their trashed has been collected from the curb. Packages of five trash bags will be sold for $10 per package at Leeway True Value, 790 Great Road, and Brigido's Market located in the Slatersville Plaza. Bags will also be available at Town Hall at 1 Main Street, and the Highway Garage at 281 Quaker Highway, during the initial launch.

Also available at Town Hall are free black and yellow town stickers, which can be placed on any bin with extra recyclables outside of the blue and green bins.

"If you only have one can of trash, one recycle bin is fine. Households that generate one can of trash can alternate the blue recycle bin one week, and then the green the next. But if you have two cans of trash, you will need to have both the blue and green recycle bins out," Kaehler stated in a press release from the Recycling Department.

Kaehler also noted that about "80 percent of the households will not experience any change in how they currently put their trash at the curb."

Guidelines for multi-family homes remain the same. Each unit must place one recycle bin out per trash can, and can only have two trash cans.

There are communities in Rhode Island that do not have curbside pick-up, Kaehler explained, and in order to keep that service, the town must work together to keep the amount of trash going out to the Johnston landfill at a minimum.

"Our diversions are huge," Kaehler said. "People have been taking out recyclables beyond the blue and green bins."

According to Kaehler, the town's diversion rate last year was between about 36 and 38 percent, with a recycling rate of 27 percent. "That means we took 10 percent out of our trash," she said.

All information regarding what can be recycled "beyond on the blue and green bins" is available on the town Web site under the "Trash & Recycling" quick link