Presentation at 2016 Massachusetts Sustainable Campuses and Communities Conference

1. Materials Management
in Franklin County
and the Pioneer Valley
Amy Donovan
Program Director
Franklin County Solid Waste District

2. Trash goes to landfills and
incinerators.
- Does NOT become soil.
- Creates climate change.
- Only 10 years capacity
left in MA landfills
- Expensive! $$$$$$$$
- Americans: 4.5 lbs./day
< Northampton Landfill, now closed.
Chicopee Landfill
- only landfill in western MA
Covanta Energy
- only trash combustor in
western MA
- Waste to Energy
Puente Hills Landfill, LA>

3. Recycling goes to Springfield Materials
Recycling Facility (MRF)
• Towns get paid $10/ton for recyclables;
– Towns pay $70/ton landfill tip fee for trash
• 72 member towns: dual stream / 6 single stream towns
• Recycle Guides, video: www.springfieldmrf.org
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Guide: tinyurl.com/RRRN-2015

4. ü Save money
ü Educate students
ü Comply with MA waste bans
ü Save space in landfills
ü Save energy, water, natural
resources, create jobs
ü Slow climate change!
Why compost
and recycle
in schools, and
beyond?
Pictured: classroom trash can, bottle and can recycling
bin, paper recycling bin at Turners Falls High School

5. Composting and recycling help
slow Climate Change
Climate Change is caused by greenhouse gases
in earth’s atmosphere.
Greenhouse Gases:
• Carbon Dioxide
• Methane (food
waste in landfills)
• Nitrous Oxide

6. The Climate Change
Connection
• When organically based materials (“organics”) such as food
waste (and paper) decay in a landfill, methane is released.
• Methane is a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than
carbon dioxide.
Methane pipe at
a landfill

7. Martin’s Farm
accepts from
schools:
Pioneer HS/MS,
Turners Falls HS,
Mohawk HS/MS,
Frontier HS/MS,
Bernardston ES,
Deerfield ES,
Erving ES,
Gill ES,
2 Montague ES,
Northfield ES,
Sunderland ES,
2 Greenfield ES;
Muni. organics
programs:
Northfield
Leverett
Greenfield
Plus markets,
Big Y stores,
restaurants….
Windrow turner
at Martin’s Farm
turns/stirs
windrows.
Why doesn’t composting release methane?
Because oxygen is part of the composting
process. There is no oxygen in a landfill.
Windrows at
Martin’s Farm,
Greenfield, MA

8. 3 “sizes” of composting:
what size is right for your home/school?
Small: Indoor worm bin
(vermicomposting) Red
wiggler worms
ü Newspaper bedding
ü Raw vegs, fruits only
ü No meat, bones, dairy,
oils, citrus, bread
Medium: Backyard or
on-site composting
ü Yard waste, leaves
ü Veggies, fruit, bread
ü No meat, bones, dairy,
oils

9. Large: Commercial Composting at compost farm accepts:
ALL food: including meat, bones, cheese…
Paper: milk cartons, paper lunch trays, paper boats, napkins, paper
towels and BPI-certified compostable plastics, wooden utensils, etc.
Up to 89% of a school lunch is compostable!
Windrows at
Bear Path Farm,
Whately, MAEnacted Oct. 1, 2014: MassDEP waste
ban on food waste - more than 1 ton/
week from commercial/institutional. For
help: www.recyclingworksma.com

10. School composting: ALL food is acceptable!
ALL food: meat, bones, cheese, (yes, animal products)
bread, veggies, fruit…
ALL paper: paper trays, milk cartons, napkins, paper towels
Windrows and
window turner/
sprayer at Martin’s
Farm, Greenfield

11. Farmers and
gardeners
need compost!
Lyonsville Farm in
Colrain’s Facebook
Post:
“Took advantage of
the balmy weather to
spread compost in all
the hoophouses.
Lyonsville Farm Fact-
100+ yards of
Martin's Farm
compost is spread
every year!”
martinsfarmcompost.com

12. Home composting:
YES: compost fruit, veggies,
bread, grains, coffee grounds/
filters, eggshells, leaves,
grass clippings, yard waste
NO: animal products –
meat, bones, cheese, protein!
FC Residents; buy bins “at cost”:
• FCSWMD: Greenfield Energy Park,
Miles St, Greenfield
• Greenfield Transfer Station
• YOUR Town sells them? MassDEP
• Make your own bin/pile (free)!

13. Compost is GREAT for plants.
Compost = “Garden Gold”
• Adds nutrients, minerals
• Improves soil structure
• Reduces watering
• Saves money

14. Franklin County Solid Waste
Management District: 22 towns
• Bernardston ES
• Buckland/Shelburne ES
• Colrain ES (Pig farmer)
• Conway ES
• Deerfield ES
• Erving ES
• FC Tech School (on site)
• Frontier MS/HS
• Gill ES
• Hawlemont (on-site)
• Heath ES
• Leverett ES
• Leyden ES
• Mahar MS/HS (Pig farmer)
• Mohawk MS/HS
• Montague ES (2)
• Northfield ES
• Orange ES (2) (Pig farmer)
• Pioneer MS/HS
• Rowe ES (chickens)
• Sunderland ES
• Swift River ES
• Turners Falls MS/HS
• Warwick ES (on-site)
• Whately ES
Schools: all recycle paper/cardboard, cans/bottles;
16 cafeteria/kitchen compost programs (60%) (+ 2, Greenfield)
27 schools: Green= cafeteria/kitchen compost programs

15. At Four Corners School, Greenfield:
¾, or 75% of waste is compost!
101 lbs. trash 10 gallons recycling 273 lbs. compost
Cafeteria and Cafeteria Cafeteria and
Kitchen Kitchen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
33.5 lbs. trash 10 gallons recycling 215.5 lbs. compost
Math & Science Academy: 86% compost!
MassDEP SMRP
Grant: Recycling
Assistance for
Schools

16. Off-Site School Organics Program:
Turners Falls HS/MS
v 32 gal. “Comp-lete”
compostable bag by
Fortune Plastics
v 32 gal Brute trash can
on a rolling dolly
v 2 cu yd compost dumpster:
serviced weekly by Triple T
Trucking (only $80/month!)
v Composted @ Martin’s Farm

17. Off-Site School Compost Program:
Turners Falls MS/HS
In cafeteria, one sorting station contains:
ü 2 compost barrels w/green compostable bags: food + paper
ü 2 pails: milk + liquids
ü 1 recycle bin: bottles, cans, containers, juice boxes
ü 2 trash barrels (Formerly 9 trash barrels all over cafeteria!!)
ü G-M District won MassRecycle K-12 Recycler of the Year, 2012
ü Recycling, composting reduced school trash by 40%!

18. Pioneer Regional School: 15 years!
17 waste stations around school

19. Celebrating 3 years of
Mohawk HS/MS
compost program!
March 2012 – 2015
Congratulations!
YOU have composted:
• 240 cubic yards,
• or over 60 tons,
• or 8 huge dumpsters
of food and paper!
• Saved 55 metric tons of
greenhouse gases*
• Saved 3,200+ bags of trash!
• Saved space in landfills
• Created soil from waste
*metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E)

20. Franklin County Solid Waste
Management District: 22 towns
• Bernardston
• Buckland
• Charlemont
• Colrain
• Conway
• Deerfield
• Erving (curbside)
• Gill (curbside)
• Hawley
• Heath
• Leverett (since 2014)
• Leyden
• Montague (curbside)
• New Salem (since 2009)
• Northfield (since 2008)
• Orange (since 2011)
• Rowe
• Shelburne
• Sunderland (private haulers)
• Warwick
• Whately (since 2003)
22 member towns: 17 transfer stations, 3 curbside;
6 municipal organics programs (TS)
+ Greenfield TS
(2014): out of District

21. Pioneer Valley:
Location, Location, Location!

22. Organics Programs:
Benefits to municipality/community
• Save money on tipping fees:
– MSW: $70 - $75/ ton
– Organics: $45/ ton
• Save on hauling costs: less MSW trips to landfill or
incinerator?
• Local events, small businesses, restaurants can utilize
program
• Supports local commercial composting facilities = local
business
Mass DEP Sustainable Materials Recovery Program
(SMRP) Grants for towns starting curbside,
drop-off programs: funds equipment, education

24. Tons MSW/Household/Year
• State average (per Carolyn Dann’s study):
– 1 ton/household/year
Comparison of some Franklin County towns:
• No PAYT: Heath 0.88 tons/ household
• PAYT w/ yard waste: Deerfield 0.74 t./hh
• PAYT & food waste but not yard waste:
– New Salem 0.47 tons/ household/ year
– Northfield 0.44 tons/ household/ year!

25. Whately Transfer Station: FIRST
Municipal Organics in MA, 2003

26. Northfield Transfer Station: 3 yd dumpster

27. • District initiated program 2008
• Town/District funded launch
• Triple T Trucking: 3 yd dumpster
• Picked up weekly: flat rate $105/mo.
• Tipped at Martin’s Farm, Greenfield MA
• Organics collection = free to res; PAYT trash = $1.50/
bag
• Northfield 0.44 tons MSW/household/year
(MA avg. 1 t.)
• Northfield 2015 recycling rate: 39%
• Estimated 24 tons organics/year
• Pop: 3,000
Municipal Food Waste Collection:
Northfield Transfer Station

28. New Salem Transfer Station:
20 gal barrels in bear proof container

29. Municipal Food Waste Collection:
New Salem Transfer Station
• Started July 2009
• Hauler/ compost facility provides 20 gallon Brute trash cans
• Destination: Clear View Composting (Rick Innes), Orange, MA
• Facility also accepts organics from Swift River Elementary,
other schools, events, camps, centers
• Organics collection = free to res; PAYT trash = $1.50/bag
• New Salem’s 2015 recycling rate: 35%
• New Salem: 0.47 tons MSW/ household/ year (MA avg. 1 t.)
• Estimated 3.10 tons organics
collected in FY 2010
• Pop: 1,000

30. Orange Transfer Station
Rick Innes, Clear View Composting

31. Clear View Composting
Orange, MA
New Salem, Orange,
Wendell TS Programs

32. Shelburne Falls
Compost Collaborative
Blue Rock Restaurant, Hearty Eats, Mocha Maya’s Coffee,
Mo’s Fudge Factor, West End Pub, Vavstuga Weaving School,
Bridge of Flowers
• 5 eateries, 1 tiny school: 1 shared compost dumpster
• Cost is prorated according to volume
• FCSWMD manages program; launched in 2010 w/ GSFABA, ECS
• Shredded paper: Mirick Insurance (free)
• Bridge of Flowers: garden waste (free)

33. Pictured: Recycling
Volunteers at
Conway Festival of
the Hills
Solid Waste
District’s
Special Event Bin
Loaner Program:
30+ events/year!

34. • 25,000 attendees, 4 days
• 25 “stations,” + 50 recycle bins
• 50% diversion rate, savings
• 60 cubic yards recyclables and
compostables!
• Greenest ag./county fair!?
Franklin County Fair
Stations
funded by
2011 MassDEP
SMRP grant.
Managed by
FCSWMD-
Volunteers
Needed: 413-
772-2438

35. Don’t be
a litterbug!
Balloons Blow…
Don’t Let Them Go!

36. • www.recyclingworksma.com
• FREE – assists businesses and institutions to
maximize recycling, reuse, and composting
opportunities.
• “Find-A-Recycler” database
RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts
Pedal People,
Northampton’s
bike powered
waste haulers

37. Thank you!
Case Study:
www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/composting/
SmallTownCompostingCaseStudy_FCSWMD.pdf
Amy Donovan
Program Director, Franklin County Solid Waste
Management District
amy@franklincountywastedistrict.org
www.franklincountywastedistrict.org
50 Miles Street
Greenfield, MA 01301
(413) 772-2438
Pictured: Recycle/Compost
Station at Franklin County
Fairgrounds