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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
October 4, 2008 JASON SILVA, CHIEF OF STAFF
978-745-9595, EXT. 5603
Salem Recycles Campaign in Full Gear
New Contract Regulations Set for January 2009
SALEM, MA - This time last fall, Salem's visitors and residents would not have found a single recycling bin in a public park or downtown. Much has changed over the last year due to the Mayor Kimberley Driscoll’s focus on making Salem a more "Green" city. Now, as you walk through the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall you will encounter several Big Belly solar trash compactors AND separate recycling bins for co-mingled bottles/cans and paper. You will also find these containers at the Salem Ferry and the Willows. During any special event you will also be able to recycle your beverage containers in the bright blue ‘Canables®, received as part of a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection grant. These recycling containers are filled to the brim at each pick-up;
and the City recently applied for more of them on this year’s DEP grant application.
Over the winter, for the first time, the City of Salem bid the solid waste and recycling contract. Under Massachusetts public procurement laws, the City was not required to go out to bid, but felt in order to get the best services and cost, a public and transparent procurement process was important. In the end, the City awarded the contract to their current vendor, Northside Carting, and resulted in an annual savings of close to $700,000. Terms of the new contract specify a three-barrel trash limit coupled with weekly recycling. Under a separate recycling processing contract, the City is receiving $65 per ton for all paper and cardboard up from $50 per ton paid in FY08. During Fiscal Year 2008, Salem received $75,000 for its recycled paper. With the new collection contract in
place and anticipated increase in recycling tonnage (weekly recycling, mandatory cardboard recycling, enforced trash limit and recycling available throughout the City) and an increased per ton paper revenue rate; the City is hoping to at least double that number this Fiscal Year.
For the first six months of the contract, residents have a grace period while the public is educated about the new trash and recycling regulations. While recycling of paper and bottles/cans will not be mandatory, cardboard recycling will, as of January 1, 2009.
In February 2008, recognizing new trash regulations would soon be in place, the Mayor appointed a Recycling Committee which consists of Salem citizens with a variety of backgrounds. In conjunction with the City and Northside Carting, this committee has helped frame the education program for the new contract; and participated in several City events to promote recycling, including Earth Day and Salem's Living Green Fair held last June. Many other education efforts are currently underway including a direct mailing to citizens, SATV bulletin board, filming of the “do's and don’ts” of recycling, and handing out flyers in the recycling bins on trash pick up days. The City’s Recycling Committee will also enter a float in the Haunted Happenings parade, in conjunction with the Phoenix School,
highlighting recycling. The Committee also plans to submit articles to local media outlets promoting different aspects of recycling.
Part of the new solid waste contract includes placing paper recycling toters or dumpsters at each school, and the revenue generated from the paper are credited back to the schools. During the first two weeks of the program, the contractor picked up over 5 tons of paper from the Salem Schools. Last fall, the City in collaboration with the Salem Chamber of Commerce and Salem Main Streets, produced a recycling tote bag still for sale throughout City retail establishments. Over 10,000 of these bags have been sold. The idea of this effort is to encourage people to use these bags when shopping instead of using plastic and paper bags at the stores.
Other initiatives that support the City's green efforts, are mobile. Walking through the Essex Street Mall, you will see the new Mad Vac Unit, which cleans up waste and cigarette butts in parks and caught between bricks. Additionally, Northside Carting was required to purchase new trucks for the new solid waste contract. The new trucks are fitted with state of the art air pollution devices - catalytic converters that filter the exhaust - ensuring fumes are not polluting the air; and are also protecting the safety of the solid waste contractors.
What's next? The Recycling Committee is beginning to work with the schools to determine how we can promote recycling through the student population. The City is continually updating and improving our website with up to the minute recycling information. We also have a recycling film production scheduled for the spring, and also will offer two shredding days this year sponsored by North Shore Recycled Fibers.
For further information, contact (978) 619-5679 or go to Salem.com\recycling.
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