Grant spurs talk of new trash program in Saugus

SAUGUS – A “pay-as-you-throw” trash program may be in the future for Saugus after the town received an $85,000 state grant to help pay for start up costs.?A lot of this would be in conjunction with Town Meeting looking at it and being involved in it,” said Town Manager Scott Crabtree. “There?s nothing written in stone ? This is something the town has applied for in the past and it?s there if they choose to go in that direction. We?re trying to look at what the needs are for the town in recycling and trash.”Gov. Deval Patrick recently announced more than $2 million in grants to 118 cities and towns through the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program. The grants help pay for increased diversion, re-use, composting and recycling of materials in the solid waste stream, according to a Department of Environment Protection press release.Saugus is one of four communities, including Dennis, Mashpee and Middleborough, to receive a total of $235,000 to go toward implementing a pay-as-you-throw program. However, the grant money would only be disbursed if town officials vote to implement such a program.?Overall we?re looking at what?s best and looking at not only waste disposal, but recycling and the possibility of going to a single stream, meaning you don?t have to separate recyclables,” said Crabtree. “In 2014, the DEP will actually disallow organics from going into the trash stream. That?s going to add a whole other element.”Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian said he would be “open-minded” when it comes to any information about a pay-as-you-throw program, noting it would be a way to get more people to recycle.?I?ve always believed that there has to be some sort of mechanism to compel those who are not recycling to recycle,” said Manoogian. “There are people in the town that still refuse to recycle and we?re spending money that we don?t have to spend.”Manoogian said it could also reduce the amount of money Saugus pays in tipping fees to the Wheelabrator trash-burning facility by keeping recyclable materials out of the waste stream and out of the incinerators. However, with the plant looming in precinct 10, Manoogian said many of his constituents may be reluctant to pay for trash service.?One of the concerns I have is this is the home of RESCO, not only Saugus, but my precinct,” said Manoogian. “It would almost be a tough pill to swallow for East Saugus to pay for a service since we are a host community. I would be very focused and alert to anything that?s going to compel additional recycling. At some point we have to decide as a community what we expect from our tax dollars.”Saugus currently has a five-year contract with JRM Hauling & Recycling for $600,000 a year. The contract expires on June 30, 2013.The $85,000 for Saugus would go toward start-up costs such as producing public education materials and purchasing pay-as-you-throw bags and recycling bins, said the release.?There are many variations of pay-as-you-throw, I?m not sure what this would entail,” said Manoogian. “Obviously that would have to be voted by Town Meeting. There is a bylaw that I wrote that any fees associated with trash disposal have to go to Town Meeting first.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].