Public Comment: Moving Trash Bylaw Forward, Council Should Heed Advice from Mass DEP

The following public comment was presented at the meeting of the Town Services and Outreach Committed on August 29,2024. Following that meeting, the author appended comments on the meeting.

My name is Darcy DuMont and I’m speaking on behalf of Zero Waste Amherst. We are very gratified that the waste reduction bylaw proposal is moving forward. These comments are with regard to the items in the packet which just appeared there today.

Voluntary vs. Universal Cubside Compost Pickup
Zero Waste Amherst believes that the proposal should include universal curbside compost pick up because opt in programs simply don’t work to significantly reduce waste. A universal program would have some resistance at first, but it wouldn’t take long for residents to understand how it reduces their cost by diverting waste from the trash. Communities that have had voluntary programs, like Lexington MA, have moved toward universal curbside compost pick up based on wanting to have a meaningful amount of waste reduction. If folks are paying extra for the compost option, they are much less likely to do it.

Also, there’s no need to decide whether curbside compost pick up should be mandatory or optional at this time. It makes more sense to get cost estimates for a variety of options before deciding.

Including All The Services Residents Need
ZWA also believes, on recommendation of our Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Municipal Assistance Coordinator, Susan Waite, that all single to four family residences should be included in the town contract, including those who use the transfer station, and that everyone should be included in both the hauler program and the transfer station. By doing so, everyone would have a compost bin where they could divert ALL food scraps, including meat, fish, dairy and eggs, and all dirty paper and compostable containers of which we have many in Amherst, and potentially yard waste. And they would all be able to use the transfer station, including for recycling of hard to recycle materials like mattresses and electronics. All residents need all those services. Waite, and ZWA fear that offering the hauler program and transfer station as separate options will eventually lead to the transfer station’s decline. We should at least not foreclose that option.

Otherwise, the presentation looks very good and we thank Councilors Ryan and Taub for their work on this and Councilor Steinberg for his work on a potential schedule for implementation.

The questions from councilors we just saw about 5 minutes ago, but ZWA has pages of answers to questions that have been asked by councilors over the last two years also.

Outreach
Lastly, we would urge the Town Services and Outreach Committee to conduct the outreach needed on the proposal. 

Thank you. 

Post TSO-Meeting Comments 

Strong Support for Proposal from DEP Muncipal Assistance Coordinator, Susan Waite
Susan Waite stated her strong support of the proposal. She stated that there are a number of towns renewing their contracts now who are looking at including universal curbside compost pick up. She said this is the wave of the future. That it is coming and that we have the opportunity to be a flagship community in this regard – and that our relatively small population would accommodate such a program very well. She said haulers are very aware of movement in this direction.

Including Businesses
The proposal has always included Amherst businesses as being included in a phase 2 of implementation. Only today was there any mention of not including them. Because Amherst has a very large number of restaurants and because most are too small to be affected by the state organics ban, it’s very important to include businesses in the bylaw, though also important to make sure they have plenty of time to prepare for the change. Including them in phase 2 can make our waste reduction impact much more significant.

Phasing in Universal Compost Pickup
We agree with Susan Waite, DEP Coordinator, that inclusion in universal curbside compost pick up can be phased in. As she suggested, everyone could get a compost cart, but using it would be voluntary, to start. She suggested, and ZWA  agrees, that the voluntary service should be at no additional cost. (Otherwise folks won’t use it.) The universal compost pick up could be written into the bylaw as requiring implementation a year later, once folks have had the chance to learn more. Sudden implementation might cause added resistance.

Saving Residents Money
You should include as a benefit the potential of saving residents money. DPW provided a summary of local contracts that indicated that residents will save money on waste pick up if we use the contract model, with a competitive bidding process. That calculation didn’t include the cost of curbside compost pick up. RFP responses will be used to come up with how much residents might pay with a pay as you throw fee structure.  ZWA’s model city, Louisville Colorado, has a fee structure including curbside compost pick up with these rates. Louisville’s cost of living is slightly higher than Amherst and has a contract with Republic Services. 

Current Amherst USA Waste and Recycling rates are very high.