South Shore Recycling Cooperative describes shared hazardous‑waste program and push for producer responsibility

A regional cooperative representative urged towns at the Newburyport workshop to consider shared service arrangements and legislative pathways to gain scale and manage hazardous‑waste costs.

"We are a government body," said Claire Dalkowski, executive director of the South Shore Recycling Cooperative, describing an 18‑town cooperative formed by special legislation that can raise and disburse funds under an intermunicipal agreement. Dalkowski said the cooperative runs a robust hazardous‑waste program (about a dozen events per year), offers registration to manage line lengths and administers contracts and reporting assistance for member towns.

Dalkowski explained the cooperative’s structure — two board representatives per town, one vote per town and periodic bylaw updates — and emphasized that the SSRC staff (executive director plus three hazardous‑waste assessors) deliver outsized value by managing procurement, contracts and outreach on behalf of member communities. She said the cooperative recently bid a preferred curbside food‑waste vendor to reduce transaction costs and provide towns with an easier subscription pathway.

On policy, Dalkowski said her advocacy focuses on extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation that shifts collection and recycling costs toward producers and mentioned involvement with state product stewardship groups. She encouraged attendees to examine municipal agreements and, where appropriate, pursue either cooperative or district models depending on local political appetite and control concerns.

Dalkowski invited attendees to review the cooperative’s website (ssrcoop.info) and annual report for examples of member savings and program templates. She recommended finding a local legislative champion to enable special‑legislation formation if towns wanted a formal regional authority rather than a voluntary cooperative.