Survey Of Town Trash Practices Reveals Little Incentive To Reduce Waste

Report On The Meeting Of The Town Services and Outreach Committee (TSO), March 23, 2023

The meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded. The recording can be viewed here.

Present
Anika Lopes (Chair), Ana Devlin Gauthier (District 5), Shalini Bahl-Milne (District 5), Andy Steinberg (at large), Dorothy Pam (District 3) (arrived late)

Staff: Athena O’Keefe (Clerk of Council), Paul Bockelman (Town Manager), Scott Livingstone (Chief of Police)

Also: Darcy DuMont and John Root (Zero Waste Amherst), Town Councilor Jennifer Taub (District 3 and co-sponsor of the Solid Waste Bylaw revision), Susan Waite (Town Solid Waste Consultant from the Mass. Department of Environmental Projection), Sarah Barr (Director of Community Engagement at Amherst College). Town Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke (at large) joined at 8:39 for the discussion of her proposed language to surveillance technology policy.

The chair did not announce how many members of the public were present.

The main agenda item was the presentation of a report from representatives of Zero Waste Amherst summarizing a recent survey they conducted among Amherst residents concerning practices of and satisfaction with available trash disposal services. The committee also supported two nominations of the Town Manager to the Recreation Commission, heard a brief report from Sarah Barr on various outreach efforts to the town emanating from Amherst College, and began a discussion of proposed new language to govern the use of body cameras and in-cruiser video by the Amherst Police Department (APD).

Zero Waste Amherst Survey
Darcy DuMont, a former town councilor from District 5, and John Root, the former chair of the town’s now-defunct solid waste and recycling committee, presented the results of a survey conducted by Zero Waste Amherst (ZWA) to assess prevailing trash disposal practices and attitudes about trash services among Amherst residents. The survey was conducted from January 1, 2023 through February 28, 2023 and received 510 responses. Respondents were widely solicited via local media and local civic organizations.  The power point presentation summarizing the survey results can be found below.

The survey was designed to assist TSO in its deliberations concerning revision of the town’s trash hauler bylaw (see also here). That effort to revise the bylaw, initially proposed by ZWA and now being sponsored by Councilors Shalini Bahl-Milne, Andy Steinberg, Ellisha Walker, and Jennifer Taub, aims to mandate practices that will dramatically reduce the volume of the town’s waste stream and its associated pollution and emissions through the adoption of a pay-as-you-throw system and universal curbside compost pickup and processing. The revision would also require the town to contract with a hauler through a competitive bidding process. (Currently residents contract individually through a subscription service directly with USA Trash and Recycling), The bylaw revision also aims to reduce the costs of waste disposal and recycling for residents. 

Root pointed out that the revision under consideration is entirely consistent with proposals contained in the Solid Waste Master Plan that was submitted to the town six years ago..

Respondents
Among the 510 respondents to the survey, 450 were homeowners and 69% of these homeowners contract with USA to handle their waste and recycling. About half of respondents purchase Transfer Station passes for an annual fee of $125. Approximately 1/3 of respondents who contract with the hauler also purchase Transfer Station stickers for that additional fee.

Service and Costs
Homeowners are paying an average of $550 annually for hauler services with negligible differences in fees based on cart size. As a result there appears to be little cost incentive to reduce the volume of trash that households produce. Customers also pay the same amount regardless of frequency of trash pickup (weekly or biweekly). Customers who are unable or don’t choose to bring carts to the curb have the option of contracting with the hauler to come to their house to pick up bagged trash and recycling bins, a service that the hauler refers to as “boutique”. The hauler does not list a standard rate for this service, but has reported that the fee starts at $1,000 annually. On the other hand, biweekly recycling is the norm, and is selected by 19 out of 20 survey respondents. Zero Waste advocates note that communities with curbside compost pickup prefer the reverse arrangement, that is weekly recycling and biweekly trash, and that this scheduling arrangement is effective in encouraging greater waste reduction. When food scraps and other compostables are removed from the waste stream, there is much less need for homeowners to put out their trash every week. Of the 310 survey respondents, only five currently contract for diversion and disposal of organic materials and pay an additional  $180 for this service.

Customer Satisfaction
Ninety percent of those who expressed their views were dissatisfied with at least one aspect of hauler service, with only 10% commending the hauler for efficiency and convenience. The greatest source of dissatisfaction was the cost.

Transfer Station
Those who use the transfer station highly value the services provided. Among those who opt out of hauler service in favor of using the Transfer Station, virtually all cite cost as one of the reasons for doing so. Other advantages reported by sticker holders include access to Take It or Leave It (currently shut down by the town) and the book shed, the ability to handle their own materials, the opportunity to use dual stream recycling (recycling offered by USA is single stream), a dislike of big haulers, and the ability to recycle bulky waste items. Among those who purchase a sticker and also contract with USA, most cited the disposal of bulky waste as their reason for maintaining access to the transfer station. For these residents, the most popular services mentioned were take it or leave it and the book shed. The survey revealed that sticker holders make trips to the Transfer Station every other week on the average.

Root noted that ZWA has been actively researching trash disposal and recycling practices, and their costs in Massachusetts communities similar in size to Amherst. Two years ago, ZWA interviewed the South Hadley DPW superintendent to gather details about that town’s waste management. South Hadley has 6,400 households, which is twice the number in Amherst. We learned that the town contracts with Republic Services for waste removal and dual stream recycling. Key aspects of that service include:

• Homeowners purchase bags for their trash and receive biweekly waste removal service.
• The South Hadley Enterprise fee is only $125 annually per household though residents must also purchase bags from the town.
• Bag sales are a significant source of revenue for the town.
• Enterprise fees and bag sales provide South Hadley with a total annual revenue of $1,350,000.
• The costs of 12 twice-monthly yard waste and organics collections, as well as three extra collections in the fall and two in the spring  was $650,000.
• The amount that USA collects from Amherst’s 3,200 households is actually more than the amount collected by Republic from South Hadley for 6,400 households.
  

ZWA has also surveyed 18 Massachusetts towns with populations comparable to Amherst to learn how other communities are managing their waste and compared them to Amherst. Residents in these towns are charged for waste and recycling management in a variety of ways, including combinations of taxes, enterprise funds, and PAYT bag fees. Twelve of these 18 towns provide hauling in house, five contract with a hauler, and only Amherst has resident subscription hauling.

Root concluded, “At a time when we are asking Amherst taxpayers to pay an additional average of $468 in taxes, wouldn’t it be great to return much of this back to them in waste hauler savings?”

Councilor Discussion and Questions
Andy Steinberg said that he worried about the reliability of the survey data since there was no systematic sampling of residents though he didn’t cite any specific data element as doubtful. He did challenge ZWA’s interpretation that the lack of a price differential in toter size provides no incentive to produce less trash, saying that cart size Is not a cost driver in the hauling business and he doubts whether having a smaller charge for a smaller bin would make any difference. (Note: Differential pricing of cart size does seem to have significantly reduced trash volume in Louisville, Colorado, which has been a model for the ZWA proposal.). Steinberg added that although he thinks seeking competitive bids is a good way to move forward, he is uncertain that we’ll be able to save a lot of money for town residents and he does not want to over-promise. He emphasized the importance of contracting with a single company to both get Amherst a low bid and to ensure that Amherst streets are not crowded with trucks from a variety of companies duplicating each other’s paths and producing a massive carbon footprint.

Dumont noted that the default pickup arrangement for trash in South Hadley is biweekly and that there is an extra charge for weekly pickup. She stated that when you take the organics out of the trash you don’t need to take out the trash weekly. 

Bahl-Milne asked whether biweekly pickup is emerging as a best practice, and about the future of dual stream, in which recycled materials are sorted by the residents. Are communities still doing it and is it better?

Susan Waite responded that dual stream is better in many ways but there are not a lot of dual stream facilities left in the U.S. Dual stream recycling yields a highly superior product for which there is a larger market and a better price, and most of what they recover is sold domestically. The Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Springfield is a dual stream facility. Most new MRFs are single stream, however. She added that the Springfield MRF has just released five new short videos on recycling that are worth watching. She said the fact that the Springfield MRF continues to operate as a dual stream facility is an indication that dual stream is economically viable. The City of Holyoke recently reported that they are going back to dual stream after having switched to single stream several years ago.

USA reports that they have just opened a new $41 million single stream, state-of-the-art MRF in Berlin, Connecticut that they claim will outperform dual stream facilities and that they will be able to sell 98% of what it recovers.  (View a video of the new facility here).

Waite also advised that South Hadley was previously getting many of its trash services for free (e.g. no tipping fees) because for a long time they had been hosts to a landfill. Hence it is not clear whether the town is now subsidizing some of those services as part of the transition away from what they enjoyed when they were a host and consequently their reported income and cost figures may not tell the whole story. 

Bahl-Milne asked for an update on the designated staff person for this project.  Bockelman said that until further notice, the committee should assume that it is Superintendent of Public Works Guilford Mooring

Following the meeting, John Root said, “I’m delighted that the bylaw proposed by Zero Waste Amherst is being moving forward by the Town Council. It is entirely consistent with the proposals offered in our committee’s Solid Waste Master Plan that we submitted to the Select Board six years ago: curbside pickup of compostable materials, incentivized waste reduction through pay-per-bag Pay As You Throw (Transfer Station ticket holders already do this), and a town-managed system ensuring that the hauler contracting with the town will offer these services. Homeowners who are unable to move their waste toters to the curb should not be charged extra for pickup of bagged trash closer to their homes. Also, the town should make the Transfer Station available to all Amherst residents so that everyone can use these essential services.”

Stan Rosenberg Is Now Lobbying For USA Trash And Recycling
In the week leading up to this presentation, former State Senator and Amherst resident Stan Rosenberg has met with most of the members of the Town Council as a paid lobbyist for USA Trash and Recycling. In the coming weeks, he said, he plans to meet with the Chamber Of Commerce, the BID, and members of ZWA. He noted in a call with the Indy that he was a pioneer in advocating for environmental legislation in Massachusetts and that he was active in promoting the state’s first bottle bill. He said that he is now representing a company that is deeply committed to recycling and source reduction, and is helping the town become aware of USA’s leadership in this field, as well as ways that the company can be a resource in helping Amherst achieve their environmental goals. Rosenberg said that his aim is to make sure that USA has a seat at the table as new regulations are being drafted. “Those who are impacted by the law ought to have input into the law”, he said.

Appointments To The Recreation Commission
The committee approved unanimously (4-0 with Pam absent at the time of the vote) recommendations for two new appointments to the town’s Recreation Commission. The recommendations will be forwarded to the full Town Council for their approval.

Nominated for three years terms expiring June 30, 2025 wereJonas Cox of Hillcrest Place and Jean Janecki of Memorial Drive.

The Town Manager provided the following biographical profiles of the nominees: 

Jonas Cox has worked on business teams working on multimedia and webcasts for more than 25 years. Sports and recreation have been central to his life having played basketball, baseball, and soccer as a child and continued into adulthood with cycling and running. He has also organized and coached youth soccer at Amherst Regional High School and during summer leagues. He has worked through and thoroughly understands the joys and challenges of putting a team together, communicating with parents/guardians, and navigating the systems to secure uniforms, equipment, and field time.

Jean Janecki is eager to be involved in the Town’s recreation efforts to enhance programming, improve facilities, and make it easier and more accessible for residents to participate. She brings a bi-cultural approach and bi-lingual skills to support outreach efforts in the community. She has also lived and worked in other communities and would like to bring lessons she learned in those communities to benefit the Town. 

The Charge of the Recreation Commission is as follows:

The purpose of Recreation Commission is to assist the Amherst Recreation Department in providing recreational facilities and a variety of leisure and recreational programs and supplemental education classes. It works closely with the Recreation Director. Charge: The guidance and advice provided by the commission is directed to the following:

1) Establishing short and long range goals for the Recreation Department,
2) Developing policies, rules and regulations governing the operation of the facilities and the delivery of Recreation programs,
3) Setting fee policies for participation in programs and services (including fee waivers and non-resident fee policies),
4) Reviewing and making recommendations as to the annual operating budget and capital improvement program,
5) Recommending purchases, improvements, and land and building uses for recreational and leisure recreational purposes. 

The commission advises and assists the town in all aspects of the management of public parks, playgrounds, and athletic facilities, and reviews the administration of the budget and other Recreation Department functions. 

More information on the Recreation Commission can be found here.

Amherst College’s Relationship To The Town
Sarah Barr, Amherst College’s Director of Community Engagement and Advisor to the Provost on Campus Initiatives, introduced herself as a 15-year Amherst resident though new to these jobs. She wanted to talk to TSO about the positive connections between the college and the town, and ways that residents and members of government can get involved with the college. She reported that the college has multiple initiatives connecting Amherst College students and faculty with the Amherst public schools. 

She recalled the isolation of the pandemic when no one was allowed off campus and how that had diminished a number of connections with the town that had previously existed. She is now thinking about re-establishing those connections. She reported that the Mead Art Museum has now reopened after being closed for some time for repairs. She is making a more purposeful effort to list campus events on the town listserves. She said the college is interested in expanding collaborative relationships with the Amherst community. And she said that the demography of Amherst College has changed dramatically in recent years and is considerably more diverse than it has been in the past. 

Ana Devlin Gauthier asked about the possibility of Amherst public schools gaining access to some of the college’s playing fields and athletic facilities. Barr responded that people have looked into this and that unfortunately the times and seasons of use just don’t align in a way to make that possible.

New Language On Police Body Cameras
Police Chief Livingstone Scott Livingstone and Town Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke joined the meeting to discuss proposed changes to policy that have been proposed by Hanneke to govern new uses of body and cruiser cameras. Livingstone reminded the committee that the town has been using in-car video systems for about 25 years so some of the considerations are not new. The proposed language changes were not placed in the meeting packet, but were shared on screen, and are shown below in a screen shot. The discussion quickly became technical and committee members decided to ask Livingstone to take the proposed language back to his staff and return to the committee and the Town Manager with revised suggestions.