Swampscott trash changes begin Oct. 1

SWAMPSCOTT – The Health Department and Board of Health are ordering supplies and trying to spread word about the October start of a new “pay-as-you-throw” disposal system that requires $2 stickers for any trash exceeding a limit of three barrels.”I’m excited to see that we are making a change and that we’re changing to a more conscientious community in what we buy and what we throw away,” said Public Health Director Jeffrey Vaughan. “Now we’re just trying to make sure that we get enough information out prior to the collection date so that we don’t hit anybody by surprise.”The Board of Health Solid Waste and Recycling Regulation takes effect on Oct. 1 and requires $2 stickers for trash exceeding the capacity of three “acceptable waste disposal containers” – defined as plastic bags up to 30 gallons in capacity and/or barrels with a capacity of up to 35 gallons. The first trash pickup under the new regulation will be Oct. 3, Vaughan said.But the proposal was controversial because it implemented aspects of a “pay-as-you-throw” system, which promotes waste reduction and recycling by charging for trash disposal.The Board of Selectmen voted 3-2 at their July 26 meeting to approve the fee that is integral to the proposal, after previous boards rejected two similar proposals, arguing that the stickers essentially represented another mandate and tax for residents.Selectmen Chair Matthew Strauss and Selectman David Van Dam voted against the fee, repeating these arguments.But Board of Health Chair Martha Dansdill said at that meeting that the latest regulation was a compromise. Earlier proposals, as well as versions of the current proposal, had more stringent limits – or no limits at all – on trash that could be disposed without a sticker. Dansdill noted that towns with similar programs report that no extra bags are needed 97.5 percent of the time. Most importantly, Board of Health members argued that the proposal would save the town money by reducing the amount of trash that the town pays a company to dispose.But passing the regulation was only the first step. Now comes its implementation.Vaughan said that the town ordered 1,000 copies of the $2 sticker. As of Wednesday, just 20 had been sold. The “rejection” stickers to be attached to trash beyond the three-barrel limit are on the way, he said.Board of Health member Dr. Lawrence Block said that the committee plans an ongoing education effort for homeowners as well as in the schools as October approaches.”There’s no doubt in our mind that this was the right thing to do and that townspeople will welcome it,” Block said. But I think that it will take a little bit of time ? We’re excited because we’ve been working on this for a couple of years now and we’ll see how it’s accepted.”