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| Ad Hoc Recycling Committee | |
| 37 Main Street Charlton, MA 01507 |
Phone: (508)
248-6271 Fax: n/a |
| Meetings: | 2nd Thursday of the month, 7:00pm Charlton Library, Local History Room |
Areas of Responsibility: The Recycling Committee was appointed by the Board of Health in November of 2004 to gather information about the possibility of starting a town wide recycling program. |
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Annoucement: The Massachusetts DEP has awarded the Town of Charlton a Municipal Sustainability Grant including 40 subsidized home composting bins (see below poster) and 15 discounted rain barrels. Compost bins cost $24.00 each. To see details on dimensions, go to www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/mwrginfo.doc and scroll to information on the New Age Composter BIN 24. Rain barrels cost $55.00 with a limit of one per household. Additional rain barrels are available for $65.00 once the first 15 discounted barrels are sold. To order a compost bin or rain barrel, contact Joan Wieczorak at 508-248-6865 or via email. A rain barrel is currently on display in Town Hall. All items must be pre-paid. Rain barrels must be picked up Saturday May 3rd at Town Hall from 9 am to Noon. A limited number of kitchen scrap buckets will be for sale on a first come first served basis for $7.00 each at the distribution event.  |
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Recycling Matters by Linda Davis (June 08) Mercury puddles and slithers and beads, hence the nickname, quicksilver. Mercury is a metal, yet it remains a liquid at room temperature. In the environment, mercury tends to concentrate in bodies of water where it may be ingested by micro-organisms and converted to organic mercury. Mercury bioaccumulates in the food chain, which means predators at the top of the food chain end up with higher concentrations of mercury. Bigger, older fish contain more mercury than smaller younger fish. Mercury is toxic to the nervous system and may cause neurological damage. The Mass Dept of Public Health warns that pregnant and nursing women and children under 12 years of age not eat freshwater fish from many lakes in Massachusetts, including Buffumville. Others should limit their consumption of freshwater fish to two meals per month. Mercury has started our cars, calculated our blood pressure, and kept our thermostats accurate. Barometers, hydrometers, pyrometers and esophageal dilaltors also contain mercury. As of May 1, 2008, the Massachusetts Mercury Management Act forbids the sale of these and other mercury containing items. Not all products containing mercury will be banned. If the product is deemed environmentally beneficial or protects public health or safety, or if there is no non-mercury economically feasible alternative, the DEP will allow the sale of an item. Any such products sold must list the mercury content and the product must be collected for proper mercury recycling when no longer used. Charlton residents can bring any items containing mercury to the Household Hazardous Waste Day Sat. June 21 from 9 to 1 at the Casella Facility on Barefoot Road. Items that may contain mercury include: bilge pumps and sump pumps, button batteries, electrical switches, thermometers, thermostats, neon lamps and fluorescent lamps (4 ft straight tubes, u-tubes or circular). Mercury contained in glass vials or jars is also accepted. There is no charge for recycling these items. Although mercury occurs naturally in the environment, human sources have nearly tripled the releases of mercury over the years. Through conscientious recycling, this effect may be mitigated. The Ad Hoc Recycling Committee meets the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7 pm in the Charlton Public Library. |
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Related Links: Central MA Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC):
MA DEP Recycling Home Page South Central Recycling Association of Massachusetts, Inc. The Massachusetts Recycling Coalition Earth 911 (www.cleanup.org) |
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Committee Members: Linda Davis, Chairperson, (508) 248-6271 or email Sandy Dam Nancy Jackson Roland Jackson Mike Poulin Kathleen Walker Deborah Wildasin |
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