Lynn recycling a top priority

LYNN – Aside from examinations and fines issued by the Inspectional Services Department, an extra set of eyes is now watching what is placed on the curb for trash pickup with the hiring of an Enforcement Recycling Coordinator at the Department of Public Works.DPW Associate Commissioner Manuel Alcantara said he contacted the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) last year and requested a $50,000 grant to hire an employee to monitor and take control of the growing recycling program.Matt Proodian of Lynn recently assumed the year and a half position and is currently working to increase recycling tonnage collected through the city’s municipal curbside recycling program.In addition, Proodian will also be responsible for knocking on doors and distributing information about the recycling program, along with issuing trash/recycling fines to homeowners who fail to comply with placing banned items such as cardboard on the curb for pickup.Alcantara said warning notices would soon appear in the mailboxes of those who have received fines in the past to take notice of what is thrown in the trash and take the appropriate precautions to prevent it from happening again.”Then, after Matt’s first three months on the job, he will issue a $50 fine if he sees cardboard in a person’s trash, and another one if they don’t pick the trash off of the street when it is rejected,” Alcantara said.Brightly colored bilingual stickers placed on the rejected trash indicate why it wasn’t picked up.Cardboard boxes are required to be flattened and cut to a maximum of 30×30 inches.Despite the fines, Alcantara said the amount of recycling in the city is on the rise ever since it became mandatory for businesses in May 2005 that have their trash collected by the city.An estimated 24 or 25 percent of trash in the city was recycled in 2007, according to Alcantara, which is slightly up from the 11,529 tons of material recycled in 2006, and 1,829 tons in 2005.”It really is a lot compared to other communities in the area,” he said. “We really want the community to understand that a little participation can go a long way.”As of 2006, the city of Boston was recycling 12 percent of its trash, while Chelsea and Revere clocked in at 8 percent.Alcantara said roughly 85 percent of businesses are in compliance and registered to participate in the program, and every school in the city is actively participating.Residents in the city are not required to recycle, however Alcantara said the sale of recycling bins are expected to increase.”We’re going to get 1,000 bins in today that residents can buy for $5 here at the DPW,” he said. “We pay $4.63 apiece for the bins, so we’re not making much of a profit, and schools get the larger barrels on wheels at no cost.”Compost bins are also available for $25.Alcantara said for every ton of material that is recycled as opposed to put out in the trash, the city saves $12. In 2006, the city saved $138,348 from the 11,529 tons of trash recycled.”The more we recycle, the more money we get back,” he said. “It’s that simple.”An increase in tonnage has been reported due to the fact that the city has been picking up trash at the schools since September instead of a separate contractor.