| Local Policy Description: | Home Composting Program
Responsible Department: Conservation
CO2 Savings in 2010: 189 tons
Since 1997, the Conservation Department has been selling compost bins to residents at a reduced rate with the assistance of a DEP grant. Selling an additional 150 bins per year for eight years would result in an additional 1,200 bins in circulation by the year 2010, for a total of 1,800 compost bins in Brookline residences. These compost bins would result in the diversion of 608 tons of waste. Assuming the town continues to receive the DEP grant, the cost of the additional 1,200 bins would be $6,000 (1,200 x 5). This cost would be sufficiently offset, however, from the $50,780.16 that would be saved in waste hauling fees. The sale of additional bins would also result in a further elimination of 566 tons of CO2 in 2010.
Curbside Recycling Program
Responsible Department: Conservation
CO2 Savings in 2010: 21,589 tons
The town's municipal weekly curbside recycling program serves both residential and municipal areas. The municipal recycling program is very successful, and resulted in 10,649.97 tons of waste being diverted from the municipal waste stream in 2000. If current recycling rates continue, this measure will result in an emissions reduction of 21,589 tons of CO2 in 2010. Emissions reductions from the recycling program not only include savings from disposal methods that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions but also account for the energy savings of resource recovery.
Accomplishments of the recycling program include a recycling hotline, a 24-hour recycling drop-off location at Coolidge Corner, education and outreach about recycling and a Household Hazardous Products (HHP) Collection Day, which is held annually in the first weekend of May. Additional projects being considered to help increase diversion rates even further include: translation of recycling and informational materials into other languages; increasing educational outreach at schools; establishing of a reuse and repair center, or 'Freebie Barn'; and creating more drop-off sites.
Increasing the recycling rate 10% by 2010 would result in the annual diversion of an additional 523 tons of yard waste, 387 tons of mixed paper, 89 tons of commingled containers and 67 tons of scrap metal, for a total of 1,066 additional tons of recycled material. Implementation cost: $747,374.02. Cost savings: $231,152.41. Potential emissions reduction: 23,482 tons CO2.
Bylaw Requiring Mandatory Private Recycling Service
Responsible Department/Organization: Conservation (Kristin Pelak)
CO2 Savings in 2010: 17,442 tons
Municipal curbside recycling only reaches residential and commercial buildings on town trash accounts. Apartment buildings and homeowners can choose to use private haulers for their solid waste, and these haulers may or may not provide recycling. The town could pass a bylaw or permitting process that would require private haulers with scheduled pick-ups of residential or commercial solid waste to offer recycling services. This legislation could be based on MA DEP requirements that mandate all landlords of multiunit apartments to offer recycling services to their residents. Calculations suggest that this measure could result in the diversion of 8,665 tons of waste and the reduction of 17,442 tons of CO2.
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