Public Comment: Fifteen Reasons To Support Moving the “Waste Reduction Bylaw” Forward

The following public comment was submitted in writing to the Amherst Town Council for their meeting on July 15, 2024.

15 Reasons Why Town Council Should Support Moving the “Waste Reduction Bylaw” Forward

1. Each part of the proposal (1) using a Pay As You Throw fee structure, and 2) diverting compost from trash) would reduce our waste by 40%.
2. Methane emissions from landfills are greater than previously thought, causing climate disruption. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that landfills are the third largest source of human-caused methane emissions in the United States.
3. The proposal has tons of support from residents. Many town-wide groups have endorsed it, inlcuding the League of Women Voters, the Hitchcock Center, Mothers Out Front, and faith based groups
4. 88 residents have signed up to help with outreach and education through ZWA’s Sustainable Neighborhoods program.
5. The town’s  Energy and Climate Action Committee endorsed it.
6. The Board of Health has urged it forward three times now.
7. The 2017 Solid Waste Master Plan recommended it.
8. The 2017 Solid Waste Master Plan authors conducted outreach and found that resident respondents wanted curbside compost pick up.
9. The town’s Recycling Coordinator recommended it in her 2019 final report.
10. The town’s Climate Action Adaptation and Resilience Plan includes it.
11. The Town Manager’s Goals have included pursuing the initiative for the last three years.
12. 510 residents responded to the March 2023 ZWA survey about waste hauling services and costs.
13. 152 of 169 comments in the ZWA survey were negative about current curbside Waste and Recycling Services
14. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has urged town contracted hauler services rather than subscription services for years.
15. The Mass Municipal Association joined the DEP in urging town contracts with haulers in its last annual meeting.

Conclusion: It’s the right thing to do. It will significantly reduce waste, help reduce climate disruption and will save residents money. Amherst residents would be proud to have this amount of waste reduction. Please take the next step and urge the Town Manager to issue an RFP.

Darcy Dumont, for Zero Waste Amherst

Darcy DuMont is a former town councilor and sponsor of the legislation creating the Amherst Energy and Climate Action Committee. She is a founding member of Zero Waste Amherst, Local Energy Advocates of Western MA, and the Amherst Climate Justice Alliance and a non-voting member of Valley Green Energy Working Group. She can be contacted at dumint140@gmail.com.