North Berkshire Waste District Reports Successful Paint Collection
 Sandy Totter fills in the Solid Waste District committee on the recent paint collection. |
ADAMS, Mass. — The Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District deemed this year's paint shed program a success.
Program Coordinator Sandy Totter met with the committee last week to go over details of the paint round up.
She said both Cheshire and Williamstown collected 600 gallons each of oil-based paint to be recycled. She said Cheshire also has seven 55-gallon drums of latex paint and two 30-gallon drums of spray paint. Williamstown has six 55-gallon drums of latex paint and one drum of spray paint.
"We have been doing it since '98 so we aren't going to find that last can of paint," Totter said. "I'd say we had another wildly successful collection this year."
Totter said only eight collections were held this year rather than the usual 14, but collected just as much paint.
She said 90 percent of the paint is shipped off through a vendor and recycled. Some of the paint has never been opened and can be used. She said 10 percent is sent back to the community.
"We have been shipping it to a facility in Detroit, and I am not sure where it is going to go this year because it is a new company, but it's not good to have all that paint in your house," Totter said. "Fire Departments love this program."
The committee also approved the purchase of 3,000 car litter bags for $600 that will be handed out at the transfer stations on Earth Day, April 22, 2014.
Windsor representative Robert Bradley said the small plastic bags will help keep Northern Berkshire clean as well as advertising the waste district.
"Instead of throwing a McDonald's cup out the window they might roll it up and throw it in the litter bag," Bradley said. "We can get some reasonably and pass them out to see if there is any interest in it, but it gets our name out there and it gets people thinking."
Totter also discussed adding antifreeze collection to the district's services. She said she looked at Colrain's model and that the collection system consists of a steel drum and a funnel.
"We collected 100 gallons last time at the hazardous waste collection, and I think a lot of my phone calls lately, for whatever reason, are about antifreeze," Totter said. "That's why I thought if it wasn't a big deal maybe we should try it."
Lanesborough representative Joseph Szczepaniak Jr. said he was not sure if people would have a use for the service.
"Forty years ago, when everybody changed their antifreeze," Szczepaniak said. "Nobody changes it anymore and when they have a problem, it is on the ground anyways."
Totter said it is not something the district would do until spring.
Totter also reported that the district received a grant award of $1,500 from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
She said Cheshire, Williamstown and Windsor also received grant rewards that can be used for transfer station upgrades that range up to $1,400.
She added that in October, five towns had savings in recycling over trash. These towns include Adams, Cheshire, Hinsdale, Lanesborough, and Savoy.
"Savoy saved $309 by recycling and that's pretty darn good for a small town," Trotter said. "So it was a very good month."
Tags: waste collections, waste district,
