Beverly waste committee urges pay-as-you-throw, stronger recycling access and more food-scrap drop sites

Amy Henderson, chair of the Beverly Waste Reduction Committee, told the Beverly City Council on May 5 that rising tipping fees, landfill closures and strong resident participation mean the city should adopt new policies to reduce municipal waste and costs.

Henderson said the volunteer committee has organized more than 60 zero-waste events and logged at least 500 volunteer hours; it helped launch two free food-scrap drop sites and estimates nearly 1,800 Beverly households use Black Earth Compost collection. “We don’t see trash, we see resources,” Henderson said.

Why it matters: The committee outlined a local fiscal risk if disposal costs continue to climb. Henderson said tipping rates in Beverly rose from $93 per ton in 2021 to about $106 per ton currently, and she said the city has been told the rate will rise to roughly $112 per ton in July. She cited Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection projections that most state landfills could close by 2030 and all by 2035, increasing reliance on out‑of‑state hauling.

Committee proposals and supporting details: Henderson promoted several near‑term measures the committee asked the council to support: - Adopt a pay‑as‑you‑throw structure tied to automated curbside bins to reduce per‑household disposal (committee estimates systems like Hamilton and Gloucester reduce disposal by roughly 500 pounds per household per year). - Enact a private‑hauler ordinance and ensure all multi‑family and new apartment buildings provide space for recycling collection; committee members said a common complaint is landlords do not provide recycling containers. - Require large events on city property to submit a waste plan that includes food‑scrap diversion and recycling; the committee offered to provide resources and staffing guidance for events. - Add more free food‑scrap drop sites; the committee estimates new participants can reduce household waste by up to 400 pounds annually and said the Beverly Middle School diversion program is already collecting about 40–60 pounds of food weekly and has saved roughly 450 pounds of food from the waste stream in two months. - Explore regional partnerships such as a “CHARM” (hard‑to‑recycle materials) center or household hazardous waste facility to reduce waste per household and city costs.

Henderson gave numerical examples the committee used to illustrate potential savings: if curbside composting were adopted citywide, the committee estimated roughly $250,000 in annual savings at current tipping rates; matching per‑household reductions seen in Newburyport could save about $185,500 annually.

Council response and next steps: Councilors thanked the committee and asked for more comparative research and ordinance language. Councilor Sweeney asked whether local models exist; Henderson replied that automated bin pickup in a future hauling contract would create the opportunity to provide a 35‑gallon city bin and offer a second bin for rent to incentivize composting. Councilor Feldman asked about a Styrofoam and black‑plastic takeout container ban; Henderson said the committee supports such a ban and recommended working with the health department. Councilor Hausman asked whether the committee had compiled an executive summary comparing nearby municipal programs; Henderson said a compendium is in progress but not yet finished.

No formal council action was taken at the meeting. Councilors and the mayor indicated willingness to work with the committee on a private‑hauler ordinance, improving recycling at multi‑family housing, event waste plans and outreach; the committee offered to meet with councilors and ward groups to develop implementation details.

The committee also requested that the council consider contract incentives in the new city waste‑hauling contract, which begins July 1, 2026, to increase food‑scrap curbside pickup subscriptions and reduce tonnage.