Town of Plainville

Why we need GOOD Trash Hauler Regulations

Plainville’s Trash HistoryPrior to 1983 - Cowell Street Landfill – Town owned

Residents dropped off all trash (what’s recycling?)

1983 – 1998 - Laidlaw Landfill OperatedPlainville residents received FREE curbside collection, disposal of trash & processing of recyclables

1998 - Laidlaw Landfill ClosedPlainville municipal officials had to decide what to do about trash & recycling. They had 3 choices:

1990 - Plainville Recycling Committee formed

Residents were giving little blue recycling bins to use Recycling was collected bi-weekly at no cost to the town

The recycling rate was 23%

The ChoicesChoice #1 Tax Increase and provide residents with municipal

collection service. This would have resulted in a substantial tax increase with a tax override. This was a hard sell for residents that enjoyed free service and for residents that did not and would not receive municipal collection.

Choice #3 Pay – As – You - ThrowFormulate a program that was strictly user funded. It would have to be competitive with private haulers and would only work if a majority of residents participated.

Choice #2 Do nothingWith residents balking at a tax increase and the costs of providing municipal service, officials considered the hard choice of telling residents they would have to pay a private hauler to provide trash & recycling collection service. Residents were concerned that this cost would be high and be a financial burden to a portion of Plainville’s most valued residents.

CHOICE #3Pay – As – You – Throw

The Board of Health considered all three choices very carefullyThe driving force behind providing a municipal collection program was:

Our residents needed us!Our senior population who have been in their homes for years

Our young families that grew up in Plainville and bought their own homes

Town officials wanted to provide a cost effective service to our most valuable and vulnerable residents

The Challenges of PAYT Provide a comprehensive trash & recycling

program• Weekly curbside collection• Drop off location for leaves, brush and metal

Being able to afford to run the municipal program

• The greater the household participation, the costs can be spread over more households

Convincing residents to “buy in”• We needed a minimum of 1400 households to participate or

we could not afford to run a municipal program Being competitive with private haulers

• Private haulers jumped at the residents to get their business

Municipal vs Private HaulerMunicipal Private

Hauler

Provide weekly trash collection Provide weekly recyclables collection Provide customers with a list of acceptable trash and recyclables and information on proper packaging

Enforce DEP Waste Bans Collect Bulky goods Take material to a licensed facility Provide customer list and tonnage totals

The service for collection and disposal of both solid waste and recyclables shall be charged at a single flat fee.

Collection only

Per bag fee

1998Town of Plainville

Solid Waste and Recycling RegulationsAdopted on September 16, 1998

WHY

To be competitive with Private Haulers

To be able to check off the box to get

MRIP money

To provide all residents with access to

recycling

Population - 8,801Households - 3,676

Total Households

Municipal Service

Private Haulers

Single Family Homes 1948 1613 335Condo’s (duplexes) 170 149 212-Family w/common drive

132 102 30

2-Family w/separate drive

80 62 18

3-Family 36 30 6Residential w/business 32 17 15Condo’s (4 units) 48 32 16

TOTALS 2446 2005 441

Condo complexes4+ units & mobile homes

1230 1230

2017The Problems• The regulations are disjointed and vague• Definitions need to be updated• Residential, municipal, commercial all lumped

together• All responsible parties are not identified• Violations and penalties are not specified• Regulations are not consistent with other towns• Enforcement is solely the responsibility of the Town

Still working with the 1998 Trash Hauler Regulations

Small Staff

The Challenges of enforcing hauler regulations • Limited Staff – Two person office

• Time out of the office, so many other things to do!

• Office coverage when out in the field

• LOW priority, so many other things to do!

• Don’t want to be the TRASH POLICE

• So many other things to do!

New Hauler Regulations

Hopes & Dreams• Regulations work with both small and large towns and cities and

can be enforced by one or a task force• A level playing field• The regulations are CLEAR, ORGANIZED, SPECIFIC• Definitions are uniform across all towns• Residential, municipal, commercial customers are separated to

address the unique circumstances in each category• All responsible parties including OWNERS, GENERATORS,

TENANTS, OCCUPANTS, PROPERTY MANAGERS AND HAULERS are identified

• Violations and penalties are clear and specific• Regulations are consistent and uniform with other towns

New Hauler Regulations

Hopes & Dreams – continued• Requirement for haulers to report where they are bringing the

material • Enforcement is easier• Compliance with MassDEP Waste Bans can be enforced by the

Town• Information on MassDEP Waste Bans and acceptable recyclables

is required to be distributed to all customers by all haulers• Requirement to report tonnages to municipalities• RECYCLING IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL RESIDENTS• Municipal programs can remain competitive with private

haulers with costs, convenience and recycling access.

2017

Why adopt new regulations

To be competitive with Private Haulers

To be able to check off the box to get

Recycling Dividends Program money

To provide all residents with access to

recycling

Population - 8,801Households - 3,676

Total Households

Municipal Service

Private Haulers

Single Family Homes 1948 1613 335Condo’s (duplexes) 170 149 212-Family w/common drive

132 102 30

2-Family w/separate drive

80 62 18

3-Family 36 30 6Residential w/business 32 17 15Condo’s (4 units)* 48 32 16

TOTALS 2446 2005 441

Condo & Apartment complexes 4+ units & mobile homes

1230 1230

• 441 residential homes under 4 units• Trash & Recycling bundled service. Must provide customers with

solid waste and recyclables collection at a rate that reflects the cost for both services. Solid waste and recycling services must be provided by the same hauler.

• Must provide recyclables collection at the same frequency as solid waste

• Must provide bulky waste disposal a minimum of once per month• Must enforce MassDEP waste bans• Must provide information on MassDEP Waste Bans and acceptable

recyclables to all customers at least once a year• Must notify customers in writing (letter or notice on set out) why

material was not collected

Private HaulerTarget Population for Recycling

• 1,230 residential 4+ units and mobile homes

(Mix of curbside and containerized collection)• Hauler must offer to provide both solid waste and recyclables

collection. • Recyclables container must be same size or greater than solid

waste container• Haulers must notify town of solid waste only customers• Must enforce MassDEP waste bans• Must provide information on MassDEP Waste Bans and acceptable

recyclables to all customers at least once a year• Must notify customers in writing (letter or notice on set out) why

material was not collected.

Private HaulerTarget Population for Recycling

But it’s all Recycling

It’s allGlass, Plastic, Metal,

Cardboard

Sorry Dear, It’s NOT

If I had better regulationsThis company would get a

FINE

ContactDeborah J. RevellePlainville Board of HealthAssistant Health Agent/Solid Waste Recycling Coordinatordrevelle@plainville.ma.us508-695-3142, ext 16www.plainville.ma.us