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Solid Waste Advisory Committee urges creation of town solid waste management plan and expansion to nine members
Summary
The Solid Waste Advisory Committee presented progress on recycling and composting programs and asked the Select Board to initiate a formal town solid waste management plan and expand the committee from seven to nine members to handle growing initiatives.
The Solid Waste Advisory Committee told the Select Board Aug. 26 that curbside trash tonnage declined about 7% in 2023 vs. 2018 and that the town’s swap shop and school food scrap programs are diverting measurable tonnage from the landfill. Committee speakers reported a roughly 70% increase in food scrap drop‑offs at the waste management facility comparing May–July 2024 to 2023.
Given those trends, committee members asked the Select Board and administration to take immediate steps to develop a comprehensive town solid waste management plan to guide choices such as cart sizes, food scrap collection, and the upcoming curbside collection contract in under three years. The committee also requested an expansion from seven to nine members to handle growing workloads and outreach efforts. The committee referenced regional planning work on a Barnstable County Upper Cape regional composting facility at Joint Base Cape Cod and encouraged Falmouth involvement.
Board members asked clarifying questions about contamination rates, outreach and education, and tipping fees; committee members said contamination is present but not extreme and that outreach (school programs, mailers, newspaper “tip of the week,” and social media) will be expanded. The board acknowledged the requests and directed staff to consider the committee’s plan and membership change during upcoming budget and contract planning.
