Candia board OKs committee to continue plan for limited Deerfield recycling pilot

The Candia Board of Selectmen on Feb. 10 authorized town staff and the Recycling and Energy Committee to continue developing a limited pilot that would let some Deerfield residents use Candia’s recycling center under strict rules.

The board voted after a detailed presentation about how a pilot might operate and the limits intended to protect Candia’s operations. The pilot would be a time-limited trial, require an identifying sticker for each participating Deerfield resident, restrict accepted materials to items the center receives payment for and exclude materials that create net costs for the town, such as household trash and certain glass recycling. "They would pay for each resident to have a sticker," said Al, a Recycling and Energy Committee member.

Why it matters: Candia's recycling center has, according to presenters, been self-supporting since it opened in 2008. Committee members said a small, closely managed pilot could both help neighbors in Deerfield and potentially increase revenue for Candia without adding cost or staff burden.

Committee members and Solid Waste staff outlined operational safeguards. Chuck, the town’s solid-waste lead, said the initial plan would limit visits to slower weekdays (Wednesdays and Thursdays) and require Deerfield residents to pre-sort recyclables and follow the center’s rules. "As long as it's not costing us money and as long as it's not adding too great of a burden to the staff," Chuck said, "we Candia taxpayers shouldn't be paying it."

The committee proposed starting with a small number of participating households — examples discussed ranged from roughly 50 to 100 stickers — and using a fixed trial period (several months) with a firm end date and evaluation. The group also suggested alternative options, including neighborhood collection and consolidated drop-off to reduce traffic.

The board’s motion "to allow this committee to continue that process" passed in roll-call fashion; three board members were recorded as voting in favor. Select Board members stressed that any final plan must include a clear end date and explicit cost controls so Candia is not financially responsible for Deerfield’s collection problems. Presenters also said the pilot would exclude materials that currently impose net costs on the center and that violations by participating residents would result in loss of pilot privileges.

What’s next: The Recycling and Energy Committee will return to the board with a written pilot plan and proposed limits for formal approval. The board asked that any plan include measurable metrics (participation caps, accepted materials list, staffing impacts and revenue estimates) and that the committee consider options such as consolidated pickup or scheduled drop-offs for Deerfield residents.

The board thanked the committee and the solid-waste staff for the work and emphasized the program must be self-supporting or revenue-positive for Candia.