why does everybody need a trash barrel? I think that is a waste of money and a hurt to the environment. Don't most of us already have a trash barrel. How bizarre

The barrels have to be a specific shape and size so the truck's automated handler equipment can pick them up. At the rate I dispose of solid waste, I'll be putting out that barrel about once a month. I used to put out one kitchen bag per week, very light, now I h ave to haul a humongous barrel. At least recycling will be every week, so I won't have so much of that to haul.

Still waiting to hear what happens to everyones perfectly good existing trash barrels. Any ideas?

maybe we can donate them to another community that doesn't use this program....what a shame....if 7 thousand trash barrels go in a landfill that will be terrible and all our work will seem for nothing!
Perhaps people on the green committee have some ideas

Old trash bins can either be converted to single-stream recycling containers by picking up a Recyclables sticker from either town hall or they can be recycled through the towns (dates to be determined). If someone has a barrel that is in good condition, or any other items that are no longer needed but that may be useful to someone else, it can be posted on the Hamilton-Wenham Freecycle site: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclehamiltonwenham.

If people are too unimaginative to figure out what to do with their trash barrels, you can bring 'em to my house.

Does "household" included businesses? And does the same schedule apply?

So Wenham didn't go for the every other week trash plan?

Wenham wanted to go for every other week trash pickup but the ground swell against all changes that might mean people actually should spend time dealing with trash was too pronounced. The Wenham selectmen talked about using old trash barrels for recycling, or just plain recycling the old barrels. Maybe HW Green can organize a barrel exchange day for both towns?

I too am very disappointed that Hamilton did not go with an organics barrel and a large recycling barrel. I'm sure that the cost involved in getting the large barrel figured into the decesion but personally I don't think it's that big a deal. We can just use our old barrels for recycling. The trash trucks can pick up any type of barrel(see video attached). I beleive Hamilton has approx $14,000.00 savings budgeted for 2013 because of the new Smart program. Let's give it a chance, we know the program will need some tweaking down the road but it(SMART) can only save us money in the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIIZZCJ-QrU&feature=related

The plan is discriminatory toward large families!

Recycle, yes. Compost, yes. One trash bag/barrel (not clear) every other week may be o.k. for us old folks with two people per household. But, how about our young families with 2, 3 or more children? Just the pampers alone, in the garage for two weeks at a time? Yuk! If we (Hamilton) have signed an "agreement" with Wenham, why is our trash pick-up every other week and not every week?

Hi again - I already use a trash barrel for recycling (remember we just went to this system a couple of years ago and we all got stickers then for our trash barrels) - I won't need to use another barrel since recycling is going to be picked up every week. We are still left with perfectly good trash barrels that can no longer be used for trash pick up. So my question still stands - what happens to these barrels? I don't
think anyone but Margo will want our barrels...

15 Sagamore Farm Road. Usable, and empty, barrels only please. :-)

About businesses: If they are separate entities, )i.e. separate address) they are treated just like any household in the towns. If not, they are included in that household's trash limit.

I have heard that the recycle company doesn't process LARGE plastic items (like barrels) and they need to be cut up...anyone know if this is true?

We are a family of 4 (kids are 11 and 12). We recycle, but don't currently compost. It would be beneficial for us if the town held a recycling/composting class. I frequently have questions regarding what can and can't be recycled (i.e. plastic supermarket bags, plastic bread and other packaging bags). I am sure, once we start composting, I'll have questions there as well.
My kitchen currently has 4 dropoffs: Paper, plastic bags, bottles and cans, and trash. With the new plan, I'll still have 4 with the combining of paper and bottles and the addition of some kind of compost bin. Does anybody have a good idea for a compost bin in the kitchen? Is there some kind of bin that holds a 'compostable' bag, for instance, that one can take out to the larger compost bin each night?

mark - we use this one
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=kitchen+compost+bin&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=2972783191639102658&sa=X&ei=IyY9T6rlEafu0gHJ0MnIBw&ved=0CKMBEPMCMAA
then just run it out to the big compost bin or to the chicken coop when filled...it's looks nice too!

To find out how and what to recycle, you can call the recycling information line in Hamilton. I believe Gretel Clark calls people back personally! HW Green will come to your house if you invite them to help you maximize recycling.

Where is the solution for styrofoam?

I am not a fan of the new every other week plan. Picture this; it's the middle of summer, the weather is in the 80's and it's forecast to be in the 80's and 90's for the next week. It's Saturday and the trash pickup just occurred. Your barrel starts filling up quickly with the usual trash, dirty diapers and cat poop. Come next Saturday you open your barrel to put trash in and are greeted by thousands of maggots squirming around. The stench is overwhelming. Next thing you know you have massive amounts of disease carrying flies buzzing around. Trash and recycling should be picked up every week. Where are all my tax dollars going??

John don't waster your breath. No one is listening to you. But they will be picking up the trash every week. Just on the off weeks you will have to put all of it in the blue bags. So yes this plan is going to cost you more.

are they still making styrofoam? just don't buy it. If for some reason you have it I think it can be recycled.

Wheeu!! a lot of good questions. First, as Michelle says "we need a lot of education about the program." Yes. That is the reason for the brochure that is about to come out. All (hopefully) of these questions should be answered, with good information as to (for example) what can and cannot go into your compost. You will be getting a nice 2 gallon counter top collector for kitchen scraps that, when full, will go out to the 13 gallon green toter. And, yes,put out ONLY items that were once living. No plastic, please, Otherwise the compost is ruined. In response to John Pappas' and Ron Powell's concerns about holding on to paper plates lined with plastic for the every-other week solid waste pick up: Brick Ends Farm tells me that for the time being they will take those plates in the compost, and see how well they break down.
More later. Gretel Clark

The recycling information line (468-5515)
is longer in use. Questions on recycling, compost or trash, call your Town's Department of Public Works Department.

Styrofoam
The Town is working on establishing a drop off area or curbside pick up of Styrofoam for recycling. At this time we do not offer recycling of Styrofoam. You may put it in your solid waste container or contact the services below for recycling information.

Drop Off
You may drop off your Styrofoam for recycling at:
http://www.lifoam.com/Recycling/recycling.htm
Lifoam Industries
2 Fifth Street
Peabody, MA
800-832-4725

Mail-Back
Polyfoam Corporation has a unique mail-back program that allows virtually anyone with smaller quantities of foam packaging to have it recycled. You can find out more information at:
http://www.epspackaging.org/
Polyfoam Corporation
508-234-6323

Packing peanuts may be recycled at the UPS store at 39 Dodge Street in Beverly: M-F, 9-7 and Sat, 9-5.

Allison, thank you for that info. I'm sure many folks will find it useful.

I think each household shoulld be able to use their old barrels compostable (no branches)yard waste that could be picked up at the same time as the organic waste. WHile on the topic I also think there should be compost barrels at the cemetery for all the flowers , plants and weeds that are thrown out every day there.

I think I may be bucking the trend here on the new trash/recycling program but I feel obligated to let folks know that we have a family of 4 (kids 6 and 9) and we have been comfortably well under the 1 barrel per week limit for over a year and we recycle every other week to the maximum and we compost every week as well. The impact on our lives to recycle and compost has been minimal. It is a very minor change in daily and weekly chores to sort appropriately. With single-stream, every week pick up of recycle, it'll be even less time consuming to bring smaller weekly loads to the curb. And 5 bags are $8.75 when/if we have extra trash; not a huge burden, really. If anyone besides me has smelled the capped dump in Peabody at the Rte 95/Rte 128 loop, you too may change your mind about this change in our trash policy.

No one should be allowed to post here anonymously. If you have something to say say it as yourself

who's posting anonymously? I don't see any anonymous comments.....Am I missing something?

Sorry, Gretel.....didn't mean to have you get all the calls.
As for paying more out of pocket for trash, that is the whole reason for Pay As You Throw. If you want to reduce your out of pocket costs, i.e, not buying the town bags for more than the one free barrel, put more into recycling and composting. It's good for the town and it's good for the planet.

You can recycle/compost all you want but it doesn't change the fact that some families need trash picked up every week.

You can put out trash every week - you would have to use the blue Hamilton town trash bag on the non-scheduled trash day. I asked Hamilton's Town Manager Michael Lombardo.

John's comment on Friday "that some families need trash picked up every week" prompts me to repeat the Recycle Committee's offer. We will provide in house coaching for any family wishing to avoid a barrel of solid waste every week. Call my number and we will send a "trash specialist" (taaa daaa) out to your home, free of charge, to save you from the cost of a blue (or green) bag on that off week.
Gretel Clark 468-7206

LAME!

Even if you CAN fit two weeks' worth of trash into a barrel, it is still unsanitary and stupid to have the trash sitting around for a full two weeks in our yards!

The trash isn't that unsanitary if you remove all the compostable stuff, which DOES get picked up every week: it includes all food scraps including bones. Some dirty paper products are compostable, as is organic kitty litters from dirty litter boxes. And you can put out a "town" bag on the off week. Since many seem to be thinking of their cost to pay for trash bags, my only answer is why should everyone else pay for YOUR trash pickup if you have so much? The cost comes out of our tax dollars regardless: the principle is that those with more trash should pay more for trash pickup. Here in Wenham, residents pay more for weekly trash pickup, which our household doesn't need, and we also have to pay for annual leaf pickup, which our household hasn't used in 30 years! Maybe I should sit around a whine about how it's unfair to pay for services I don't use?

I am not whining, I am stating a fact. Diapers ARE unsanitary and you cannot put that into the compost. The town bag on the off-week, as far as I know, cannot go into a barrel to keep the animals from ripping it apart (a real problem in my neighborhood) so that will be a problem. I do have an issue with paying for the extra bags, as I will effectively be paying twice for half of the service. However, I am far more worried about the mess and unsanitary conditions that we will be living in this summer. I have seen the organic compost bins thrown on the sidewalk reeking of slops all day until the owners come back that night from work to pick them up. And now every household will have one. Someone should have thought through these details more before imposing it on the entire town.

Old trash barrels:
You may convert it to a container for single stream recyclables. Please clearly mark the container “Recyclables”. A "RECYCLE" bumper sticker will be inside the official trash barrels when they are delivered to you the week of March 19th for this purpose.
OR
Saturday, June 16th ONLY the Department of Public Work Yard will be open to Hamilton residents to drop off your old trash barrel for FREE. This is a one time event. Details are below:

Date: June 16, 2012
Time: 8:00 a.m. till Noon
Location: DPW Yard – Behind Hamilton Town Hall
577 Bay Road
What: FREE: Disposal of all regular trash barrels
FREE: Disposal of Cardboard
FREE: Disposal of paper
Additional items (TV’s, stoves, printers, etc.) can be disposed of for a fee. See fee schedule for specifics.

@Ron, Our elected officials should be voted out of office or should resign. But their Hubris, arrogance and egos are too big to go away !

Town Meeting Saturday, May 12 @ 9am at the High School...Article 2-3 Waste Enterprise Budget. This is your chance to let the Selectmen know how the new trash program is working out for you.