Milton Sustainability Advisory Committee members on Aug. 12 reviewed and refined five goals for the city's solid waste management plan and directed staff to improve hauler reporting before setting numerical recycling targets.

The committee discussed increasing recycling and diversion rates, improving curbside recycling participation and contamination reduction, enhancing organics management, promoting sustainable practices, and creating a reliable, transparent recycling program. Sarah, a city staff member, said the baseline for measuring progress will be the data already included in the draft plan but acknowledged limits in existing hauler reporting.

The draft plan matters because its goals will guide the committee's next steps and what the City Council will consider later this year. The committee set a timetable to finish work this fall so the plan can be in front of council by the end of the year.

Committee members emphasized that the current hauler-provided data are incomplete and likely understate recycling rates. "The best information available to us is what is gonna be in the plan," Sarah said, adding the data are "somewhat fuzzy" and that the committee should push for better, standardized reporting from waste haulers to establish a reliable baseline. Committee chair Charlie Lanzowach said the group will "establish a comprehensive tracking program for the city's waste hauler collection data" to improve accuracy.

Members agreed the plan should include partnerships with local schools, multifamily communities, and neighboring municipalities to expand organics diversion and other programs. Ashley Logan, attending by Zoom, and other members urged that outreach and education be a visible, citywide effort: committee members asked that recycling information be made "readily accessible" on the city website and suggested a prominent link or graphic on the homepage to drive public awareness.

The committee did not set firm percentage targets at the meeting. Members said numeric goals will follow once hauler reporting and baseline data improve. "We'd like to set a numerical goal, you know, roughly to the nearest x percent," one member said, but all agreed the figure should be based on better data rather than guesswork.

Next steps and timeline: Sarah said she hopes the committee will meet monthly until the plan is adopted and that staff will circulate a revised draft and relevant attachments before the Sept. 9 committee meeting. She told members she aims to present the plan to City Council in the mid-to-late fall cycle, with December meetings as potential review dates.

The committee also agreed to fold education and outreach across the plan's goals rather than treating it as a standalone item. Members proposed a central, maintained platform (website or single list) that documents current recycling opportunities and upcoming events so residents can readily find accurate, up-to-date information.

Ending: The committee left the item open for further refinement and scheduled the next meeting for Sept. 9 to review the revised plan, new hauler reporting proposals, and draft outreach materials.