DALTON, Mass. — Recycling is a required part of curbside collection for Dalton residents and businesses, and now an education campaign has been launched to ensure the community understands the requirements.

 

In 2020, the town adopted bylaws on solid waste that required all generators in town to separate recyclables by taking them to the transfer station, contract with a hauler, or deposit recyclables in recycling receptacles provided by the owner. 

 

Since this was adopted, the requirement has long been unenforced but now the Board of Health and Green Committee have partnered to change that. 

 

Board of Health co-Chair Nancy Hopper and Green Committee member Laurie Martinelli updated the Select Board on Sept. 14 on the regulations and plans for the town's education campaign.

 

The Board of Health and Green Committee hope that the campaign helps ensure that all Dalton residents and businesses have the resources they need to adhere to the mandatory recycling regulations, the duo said. 

 

Solid waste haulers offering curbside collection services are required to collect recyclable paper and recyclable metal, plastic, and glass containers from their customers at a single bundled price. 

 

In April, the Board of Health revised its enforcement of the bylaw, which requires haulers to submit an annual report to the Board of Health at the time of its permit otherwise the permit application will be denied, Board of Health co-Chair Nancy Hopper told the Select Board last week. 

 

This report will need to include the total weight of reuse and recyclables collected in town, weight slips supporting the data, and the names and locations of the approved facilities the material is delivered. 

 

"If you're late on getting your permit, there's a $25 a week fee in regards to that," Hopper said. 

 

Prior to adopting the regulation change, the Board of Health sent a letter out to all the solid waste haulers informing them of the amendment, she said. 

 

"I volunteer at the Methodist Church and they were talking about this letter that they got that they need to start recycling," Martinelli said. 

 

"So, there's starting to be conversations about this and this is what we want. We want to create a little bit of a buzz." 

 

The Board of Health will send another letter to the solid waste haulers in October just reminding them of the new permit requirements, Hopper added.

 

Over the next several months the board and committee will provide the public with recycling education so businesses and residents understand which household materials can be recycled and other accurate recycling information.

 

There will be a town-wide mailing and webpage with resources, in addition to a  social media campaign, public meetings, and a collaboration with Wahconah Regional High School's Green Umbrella Committee for school educational outreach.

 

According to the press release, recycling is essential, particularly in Massachusetts as the state is running out of space to accommodate its trash.

 

The state has waste bans prohibiting the disposal and transfer of 14 material categories including recyclable paper, cardboard, paperboard, glass metal, and plastic containers. The press release said. 

 

Waste reduction and increased recycling are also key components to the town's Climate Action Plan. 

 

In 2024, the Green Committee worked with Blue Strike Environmental to develop a plan aimed at helping the town achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 by reducing its reliance on fossil fuels in homes, businesses, municipal facilities and vehicles.

 

The plan was endorsed by the Select Board in the Spring of 2025, Martinelli said. View the plan here. 

 

Trash being shipped to other states including New York, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Alabama is increasing which contributes to higher fuel and labor costs and generates harmful carbon emissions, the press release said. 

 

The state Department of Environmental Protections waste characterization studies have revealed that Massachusetts residents are throwing away a large amount of material that can be processed locally. 

 

Each year, the state DEP collects and analyzes statewide solid waste management data to track the state's progress toward waste reduction, reuse, and recycling goals, in addition to ensuring that facilities have sufficient capacity to dispose of material that cannot be reduced, reused, or recycled.

 

According to a press release from the Board of Health and Green Committee, separating recyclables from waste keeps valuable materials in Massachusetts while reducing the amount of trash exported out of state and the associated environmental and disposal costs.

 

During the Sept. 14 Select Board meeting, Green Committee member Laurie Martinelli highlighted the success her condominium complex, Stone Mill Condominiums, has seen since it began diverting recyclable household materials from the waste stream.

 

Before implementing recycling, the condominium's dumpster was emptied weekly but would still overflow. Now, Martinelli said, the dumpster is typically less than full each week, with recyclable materials instead filling five large recycling carts provided by the hauler.

 

"That's what we want to have happen in Dalton. And eventually we want to have all of our municipal facilities, we want our apartments, we want our businesses, we want all of our residents, we want everyone to be recycling their trash," Martinelli said.