The city is preparing to deliver 28,000 barrels to homeowners.
Al Chwalek, director of the Springfield Department of Public Works, carries a poster prior to a press conference last week where the city announced it will begin the final phase of its single-stream recycling program by delivering 28,000 blue collection barrels to homeowners in August.SPRINGFIELD – An agency that oversees trash disposal and recycling efforts across the state has hailed Springfield’s citywide single-stream recycling program while Chicopee’s mayor plans to pursue a similar program for his community.
Edmund J. Coletta, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency is “thrilled” that Springfield has expanded to a citywide, single-stream recycling program and similarly encourages Chicopee and other communities to follow suit.
“We are looking forward to success in the city of Springfield,” Coletta said. “It does result in the reduction of solid waste management costs. The simplicity of the program really helps to increase the diversion of waste and increase recycling numbers.”
Under the program, residents place their cans, bottles and paper products into a single, 95-gallon container for curbside collection, rather than separate their recycling into much smaller bins. The program is aimed at making it simpler and to encourage residents to increase recycling.
Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Public Works Director Allan R. Chwalek announced last week that the city will deliver approximately 28,000 large recycling barrels to homes across the city during the first two weeks of August, representing the final phase of its single-stream recycling program.
Springfield’s program began with a pilot program in East Forest Park in October 2008, targeting 805 homes, and then expanded last December after recycling rates in the pilot area more than doubled.
Chwalek estimated the city will save approximately $250,000 annually on waste disposal costs through increased recycling.
The larger barrels were distributed in two phases: 14,000 barrels distributed last December at a cost of about $750,000, and the remaining 28,000 next month at a cost of about $1.75 million. Homeowners have been able to mix their bottles, cans and paper in smaller containers pending receipt of the larger barrels.
Various other communities have single-stream recycling in the state, including Boston, Coletta said. Springfield, however, is the first community in Western Massachusetts to provide a citywide program, city officials said.
“Everywhere I go, people are happy with the large blue barrels,” Sarno said. “The city initiated and undertook this cutting edge and aggressive recycling program because it’s the right thing to do environmentally and it creates increased savings for Springfield taxpayers.”
The barrels being delivered at curbside in August will be preceded by mailed informational packets.
The city saves $80 on every ton of waste that is recycled instead of being disposed and will pay back the cost of the barrels within six years, officials said.
In Chicopee, single-stream recycling was launched in seven condominium projects in February 2009 as a pilot program and expanded to nine more in June 2009.
Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said the limited program has been successful and he plans to bring a proposed citywide single-stream program to the City Council this fall.
“We have to recycle as much paper, metal and glass as we can,” Bissonnette said. “We have to keep it out of the waste stream. It’s important environmentally and also is economically critical.”
Westfield State College has also had a limited single-stream recycling program.