amydonovan
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Franklin County and the Pioneer Valley region are facing capacity constraints for landfills and incinerators to handle waste. Recycling and composting programs are helping divert organic waste from landfills, where it releases the potent greenhouse gas methane as it decomposes. The Franklin County Solid Waste District oversees recycling and composting programs across 22 towns, with many schools and some municipalities having curbside or drop-off composting. Diverting food scraps and paper from the waste stream through composting reduces costs for towns and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
amydonovan
- 1. Materials Management in Franklin County and the Pioneer Valley Amy Donovan Program Director Franklin County Solid Waste District
- 2. Trash goes to landfills and incinerators. - Does NOT become soil. - Creates climate change. - Only 10 years capacity left in MA landfills - Expensive! $$$$$$$$ - Americans: 4.5 lbs./day < Northampton Landfill, now closed. Chicopee Landfill - only landfill in western MA Covanta Energy - only trash combustor in western MA - Waste to Energy Puente Hills Landfill, LA>
- 3. Recycling goes to Springfield Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) • Towns get paid $10/ton for recyclables; – Towns pay $70/ton landfill tip fee for trash • 72 member towns: dual stream / 6 single stream towns • Recycle Guides, video: www.springfieldmrf.org • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Guide: tinyurl.com/RRRN-2015
- 4. ü Save money ü Educate students ü Comply with MA waste bans ü Save space in landfills ü Save energy, water, natural resources, create jobs ü Slow climate change! Why compost and recycle in schools, and beyond? Pictured: classroom trash can, bottle and can recycling bin, paper recycling bin at Turners Falls High School
- 5. Composting and recycling help slow Climate Change Climate Change is caused by greenhouse gases in earth’s atmosphere. Greenhouse Gases: • Carbon Dioxide • Methane (food waste in landfills) • Nitrous Oxide
- 6. The Climate Change Connection • When organically based materials (“organics”) such as food waste (and paper) decay in a landfill, methane is released. • Methane is a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Methane pipe at a landfill
- 7. Martin’s Farm accepts from schools: Pioneer HS/MS, Turners Falls HS, Mohawk HS/MS, Frontier HS/MS, Bernardston ES, Deerfield ES, Erving ES, Gill ES, 2 Montague ES, Northfield ES, Sunderland ES, 2 Greenfield ES; Muni. organics programs: Northfield Leverett Greenfield Plus markets, Big Y stores, restaurants…. Windrow turner at Martin’s Farm turns/stirs windrows. Why doesn’t composting release methane? Because oxygen is part of the composting process. There is no oxygen in a landfill. Windrows at Martin’s Farm, Greenfield, MA
- 8. 3 “sizes” of composting: what size is right for your home/school? Small: Indoor worm bin (vermicomposting) Red wiggler worms ü Newspaper bedding ü Raw vegs, fruits only ü No meat, bones, dairy, oils, citrus, bread Medium: Backyard or on-site composting ü Yard waste, leaves ü Veggies, fruit, bread ü No meat, bones, dairy, oils
- 9. Large: Commercial Composting at compost farm accepts: ALL food: including meat, bones, cheese… Paper: milk cartons, paper lunch trays, paper boats, napkins, paper towels and BPI-certified compostable plastics, wooden utensils, etc. Up to 89% of a school lunch is compostable! Windrows at Bear Path Farm, Whately, MAEnacted Oct. 1, 2014: MassDEP waste ban on food waste - more than 1 ton/ week from commercial/institutional. For help: www.recyclingworksma.com
- 10. School composting: ALL food is acceptable! ALL food: meat, bones, cheese, (yes, animal products) bread, veggies, fruit… ALL paper: paper trays, milk cartons, napkins, paper towels Windrows and window turner/ sprayer at Martin’s Farm, Greenfield
- 11. Farmers and gardeners need compost! Lyonsville Farm in Colrain’s Facebook Post: “Took advantage of the balmy weather to spread compost in all the hoophouses. Lyonsville Farm Fact- 100+ yards of Martin's Farm compost is spread every year!” martinsfarmcompost.com
- 12. Home composting: YES: compost fruit, veggies, bread, grains, coffee grounds/ filters, eggshells, leaves, grass clippings, yard waste NO: animal products – meat, bones, cheese, protein! FC Residents; buy bins “at cost”: • FCSWMD: Greenfield Energy Park, Miles St, Greenfield • Greenfield Transfer Station • YOUR Town sells them? MassDEP • Make your own bin/pile (free)!
- 13. Compost is GREAT for plants. Compost = “Garden Gold” • Adds nutrients, minerals • Improves soil structure • Reduces watering • Saves money
- 14. Franklin County Solid Waste Management District: 22 towns • Bernardston ES • Buckland/Shelburne ES • Colrain ES (Pig farmer) • Conway ES • Deerfield ES • Erving ES • FC Tech School (on site) • Frontier MS/HS • Gill ES • Hawlemont (on-site) • Heath ES • Leverett ES • Leyden ES • Mahar MS/HS (Pig farmer) • Mohawk MS/HS • Montague ES (2) • Northfield ES • Orange ES (2) (Pig farmer) • Pioneer MS/HS • Rowe ES (chickens) • Sunderland ES • Swift River ES • Turners Falls MS/HS • Warwick ES (on-site) • Whately ES Schools: all recycle paper/cardboard, cans/bottles; 16 cafeteria/kitchen compost programs (60%) (+ 2, Greenfield) 27 schools: Green= cafeteria/kitchen compost programs
- 15. At Four Corners School, Greenfield: ¾, or 75% of waste is compost! 101 lbs. trash 10 gallons recycling 273 lbs. compost Cafeteria and Cafeteria Cafeteria and Kitchen Kitchen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33.5 lbs. trash 10 gallons recycling 215.5 lbs. compost Math & Science Academy: 86% compost! MassDEP SMRP Grant: Recycling Assistance for Schools
- 16. Off-Site School Organics Program: Turners Falls HS/MS v 32 gal. “Comp-lete” compostable bag by Fortune Plastics v 32 gal Brute trash can on a rolling dolly v 2 cu yd compost dumpster: serviced weekly by Triple T Trucking (only $80/month!) v Composted @ Martin’s Farm
- 17. Off-Site School Compost Program: Turners Falls MS/HS In cafeteria, one sorting station contains: ü 2 compost barrels w/green compostable bags: food + paper ü 2 pails: milk + liquids ü 1 recycle bin: bottles, cans, containers, juice boxes ü 2 trash barrels (Formerly 9 trash barrels all over cafeteria!!) ü G-M District won MassRecycle K-12 Recycler of the Year, 2012 ü Recycling, composting reduced school trash by 40%!
- 18. Pioneer Regional School: 15 years! 17 waste stations around school
- 19. Celebrating 3 years of Mohawk HS/MS compost program! March 2012 – 2015 Congratulations! YOU have composted: • 240 cubic yards, • or over 60 tons, • or 8 huge dumpsters of food and paper! • Saved 55 metric tons of greenhouse gases* • Saved 3,200+ bags of trash! • Saved space in landfills • Created soil from waste *metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E)
- 20. Franklin County Solid Waste Management District: 22 towns • Bernardston • Buckland • Charlemont • Colrain • Conway • Deerfield • Erving (curbside) • Gill (curbside) • Hawley • Heath • Leverett (since 2014) • Leyden • Montague (curbside) • New Salem (since 2009) • Northfield (since 2008) • Orange (since 2011) • Rowe • Shelburne • Sunderland (private haulers) • Warwick • Whately (since 2003) 22 member towns: 17 transfer stations, 3 curbside; 6 municipal organics programs (TS) + Greenfield TS (2014): out of District
- 21. Pioneer Valley: Location, Location, Location!
- 22. Organics Programs: Benefits to municipality/community • Save money on tipping fees: – MSW: $70 - $75/ ton – Organics: $45/ ton • Save on hauling costs: less MSW trips to landfill or incinerator? • Local events, small businesses, restaurants can utilize program • Supports local commercial composting facilities = local business Mass DEP Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) Grants for towns starting curbside, drop-off programs: funds equipment, education
- 24. Tons MSW/Household/Year • State average (per Carolyn Dann’s study): – 1 ton/household/year Comparison of some Franklin County towns: • No PAYT: Heath 0.88 tons/ household • PAYT w/ yard waste: Deerfield 0.74 t./hh • PAYT & food waste but not yard waste: – New Salem 0.47 tons/ household/ year – Northfield 0.44 tons/ household/ year!
- 25. Whately Transfer Station: FIRST Municipal Organics in MA, 2003
- 26. Northfield Transfer Station: 3 yd dumpster
- 27. • District initiated program 2008 • Town/District funded launch • Triple T Trucking: 3 yd dumpster • Picked up weekly: flat rate $105/mo. • Tipped at Martin’s Farm, Greenfield MA • Organics collection = free to res; PAYT trash = $1.50/ bag • Northfield 0.44 tons MSW/household/year (MA avg. 1 t.) • Northfield 2015 recycling rate: 39% • Estimated 24 tons organics/year • Pop: 3,000 Municipal Food Waste Collection: Northfield Transfer Station
- 28. New Salem Transfer Station: 20 gal barrels in bear proof container
- 29. Municipal Food Waste Collection: New Salem Transfer Station • Started July 2009 • Hauler/ compost facility provides 20 gallon Brute trash cans • Destination: Clear View Composting (Rick Innes), Orange, MA • Facility also accepts organics from Swift River Elementary, other schools, events, camps, centers • Organics collection = free to res; PAYT trash = $1.50/bag • New Salem’s 2015 recycling rate: 35% • New Salem: 0.47 tons MSW/ household/ year (MA avg. 1 t.) • Estimated 3.10 tons organics collected in FY 2010 • Pop: 1,000
- 30. Orange Transfer Station Rick Innes, Clear View Composting
- 31. Clear View Composting Orange, MA New Salem, Orange, Wendell TS Programs
- 32. Shelburne Falls Compost Collaborative Blue Rock Restaurant, Hearty Eats, Mocha Maya’s Coffee, Mo’s Fudge Factor, West End Pub, Vavstuga Weaving School, Bridge of Flowers • 5 eateries, 1 tiny school: 1 shared compost dumpster • Cost is prorated according to volume • FCSWMD manages program; launched in 2010 w/ GSFABA, ECS • Shredded paper: Mirick Insurance (free) • Bridge of Flowers: garden waste (free)
- 33. Pictured: Recycling Volunteers at Conway Festival of the Hills Solid Waste District’s Special Event Bin Loaner Program: 30+ events/year!
- 34. • 25,000 attendees, 4 days • 25 “stations,” + 50 recycle bins • 50% diversion rate, savings • 60 cubic yards recyclables and compostables! • Greenest ag./county fair!? Franklin County Fair Stations funded by 2011 MassDEP SMRP grant. Managed by FCSWMD- Volunteers Needed: 413- 772-2438
- 35. Don’t be a litterbug! Balloons Blow… Don’t Let Them Go!
- 36. • www.recyclingworksma.com • FREE – assists businesses and institutions to maximize recycling, reuse, and composting opportunities. • “Find-A-Recycler” database RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts Pedal People, Northampton’s bike powered waste haulers
- 37. Thank you! Case Study: www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/composting/ SmallTownCompostingCaseStudy_FCSWMD.pdf Amy Donovan Program Director, Franklin County Solid Waste Management District amy@franklincountywastedistrict.org www.franklincountywastedistrict.org 50 Miles Street Greenfield, MA 01301 (413) 772-2438 Pictured: Recycle/Compost Station at Franklin County Fairgrounds