People can put out as many bags as they want, but the fewer they use, the fewer they have to buy, so it’s in their interest to recycle as much as possible.
SOUTH HADLEY – For years Americans have embraced a throw-away lifestyle. The result: Too much trash.
South Hadley is one of those towns that has found a way to make a difference.
On April 28, Veronique Blanchard-Smith, solid waste coordinator for South Hadley, will talk about a new trash collection program coming to her town, at 7 p.m. at the High School library.
South Hadley's Green Bag Program from SHCTV15 on Vimeo.
“The Bag Lady Talks Trash,” sponsored by Know Your Town, will answer questions residents have about the system that starts on July 1.
The Green Bag program will require residents to put all their household trash into special “Green Bags” that can be purchased at 10 different places around town. They come in a $1 and 50-cent sizes.
Trash will be picked up, as trash is picked up now, every other week. No bill at the end of the month. The price of the bag pays the bill.
People can put out as many bags as they want, but the fewer they use, the fewer they have to buy, so it’s in their interest to recycle as much as possible.
Trash in anything other than the prescribed Green Bag will get what Blanchard-Smith calls a “we’re-sorry sticker.” As in: “We’re sorry, but we can’t take away your trash.”
The Solid Waste Committee has been working for three years to establish this program. Recently Blanchard-Smith learned that a predecessor in her job promoted a similar idea as far back as 1999.
She is getting questions about the new system even before it starts. “The main confusion is that people think it will be more expensive for them,” she said.
It won’t. The current fee for trash is $30 per person per household. “We figure the average person will fill a bag every two weeks. That makes 26 bags per year per person, or $26,” said Blanchard-Smith.
“That’s cheaper. It’s also much more fair. This way, people are paying for the trash they produce.”
The program encourages people to recycle, both at the curb and at the Recycling Center at 10 Industrial Drive. It’s open Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Items in good enough condition can go to the “Swap Shop,” and the center accepts (sometimes or a small fee) many other things that can’t go into the trash.
People forget that trash pick-up is for household trash, said Blanchard-Smith. Toxic metals, such as leaded glass, have never been acceptable. Neither have TV sets.
The program on April 28 is free. It will start with a video explaining the new system. A preview is available by going to http://vimeo.com/20609892.
Anyone who wants to avoid a “we’re sorry” sticker had better pay attention.