Jan Ameen, Executive Director Franklin County Solid Waste District
Municipal entity formed in 1989 22 rural towns in western Mass. Pop. 50,000 over 500 sq. miles Provide professional assistance relating to MSW, recycling, organics, hazardous waste, and everything else
Core Components: Pilot program Implementation logistics Technical assistance
1998? 2000? A long time ago FCSWMD regional school district bid included trash, recycling, and organics Possible because of on-farm composting operation in Greenfield,MA and local hauler using trash trucks to haul
Built relationship with Asst. Superintendant who was on board Why not see what the pricing would be? FCSWMD wrote and helped with bid process Could pick organics collection if cost-effective - or not; included option to split award Started program at high school and largest elementary schools closest to composting operation (1,000 students)
Helped with logistics sizing dumpsters and frequency of pickup Met with custodians about logistics, what could go in Met with kitchen staff Worked with high school environment club
School staff accepted the program because the Asst. Superintendant was involved Organics pricing saved the schools money on trash hauling and disposal 2013 bid: 8 cy trash weekly = $324 vs. two 8 cy organics weekly = $352
2000-2013: 2 regional school district disposal bids include organics dumpsters Technical assistance for all school districts (30 schools total) 50% of schools have organics collection Hauling infrastructure started in 2000 Local on-farm composting operations
Core Components Review: Pilot program Implementation logistics Technical assistance
2003 MassDEP grant to set up a pilot residential organics collection at the Whately,MA Transfer Station. Whately was chosen because of the proximity to an on-farm composting operation (4 miles from transfer station)
It helped that the compost operator was on the town s waste management committee and a member of the solid waste district board! PAYT town at $2/bag but recycling and organics are free.
Logistics: How to collect and transport from home How to collect and transport from facility Who would transport to farm Odor and fly control (sawdust) Where and how to get sawdust and store it
Technical Assistance: Preliminary survey at transfer station Voluntary sign-up at transfer station Labels for pails and toters On-site staff during start-up Problem solving Eventual expansion to more carts
Success in Whately took many hours of on-the-ground staff time Also required Identifying problems Creative solutions Getting slimed
2008-2009 two more transfer stations offer residential organics collection for free (both PAYT towns) Both to on-farm composting operations Site specific logistics Lots of technical assistance, staff time, problem solving
Northfield Drop-off 2 cubic yards
Bear-proof in New Salem
3,000 households have access to organics collection at transfer stations Approximately 14% of total District households
Organics Offshoots Public Events Franklin County Fair 25,000 attendees over 4 days Organics diversion from food vendors and fairgoers Shelburne Falls Compost Collaborative 5 eateries share organics dumpster 3 businesses add shredded paper
Franklin County Fair
Collection Programs Jan Ameen, Executive Director fcswmd@crocker.com 413-772-2438 www.franklincountywastedistrict.org