2007 Annual Town Report 

  
The Solid Waste District was formed in 1989 to help Franklin County towns manage all aspects of their solid waste – recyclables, organics, hazardous waste, wastewater treatment sludge, and trash.  We continue to provide assistance to the twenty-one member towns through administrative support, professional consultation, trainings, and outreach to residents and businesses.

We are finalizing plans for a permanent collection program for unwanted medications.  This program will be the first in the Commonwealth.  We are also working on disaster debris planning, with a focus on managing deceased farm animals.  Franklin County has a large number of farm animals and a disaster or disease-outbreak could wreak significant devastation.  Our planning efforts are intended to identify a clear response system should an emergency arise.

We have worked with several schools to improve their recycling program as well as to implement a program to collect food waste for composting.  The District also provides hands-on assistance to businesses and institutions that want to recycle or compost their waste.

Using a small grant from the MRF Advisory Board, we researched, designed, and uploaded a new page to our website called, “What Do I Do With...”  This page lists hundreds of items that are found in household trash and identifies the options for recycling or disposing of them. 

In 2007, District towns recycled approximately 2,400 tons of paper and 1,100 tons of mixed containers. By diverting a total of 3,500 tons of recyclables from landfills and incineration, District towns collectively saved over $230,000 in disposal costs. 

The District held its annual household hazardous waste collection in September.  Almost 400 residents participated at the three regional sites.  Through a state grant, we were able to collect old pesticides from ten area farms.  The next household hazardous waste collection will be held on September 13, 2008.  The annual “Clean Sweep” collection was held in October.  There were 300 participants at three regional sites.  Residents delivered close to 40 tons of appliances, scrap metal, bulky items, electronics, tires, and propane tanks! 

If you have questions about District programs, call us at 772-2438; visit our website at www.franklincountywastedistrict.org; or visit us at 50 Miles Street in Greenfield.