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Kensington Board and ELM outline March'April switch from Casella for trash and recycling service
Summary
The Kensington Board of Selectmen and ELM discussed operational details for replacing Casella with ELM, confirming March 30 as the last Casella pickup, staged ELM start dates in April, cardboard roll-offs for diversion, and a resident communication plan emphasizing Tuesday-evening set-out to reduce missed collections.
The Kensington Board of Selectmen and representatives from ELM reviewed plans for the town's upcoming trash and recycling service transition at a public hearing on Feb. 2.
ELM told the Board that the last Casella pickup is scheduled for Monday, March 30, and that ELM will begin curbside trash pickup on Wednesday, April 8 and add recycling pickup on Wednesday, April 15 before moving to an every-other-week recycling cadence. ELM also said cardboard roll-off containers (OCC) will be placed in the municipal lot across from Town Hall on April 1 for 24/7 resident use.
Why it matters: the switch affects curbside logistics for all residential properties and aims to reduce recycling processing costs by diverting cardboard to dedicated containers.
Board members and ELM discussed cart sizing and set-out procedures. The town will supply trash carts to residences in the same size they currently have (noted in the minutes as approximately 35-, 65- and 95-gallon mixes). ELM said recycling containers are optional; it will offer a discounted 65-gallon labeled recycling cart to residents with hardship or no container. The parties agreed to encourage residents to set out carts by Tuesday evening to avoid missed pickups during snowy or icy mornings, and the contract language and public communications will include a 5:00 p.m. set-out advisory.
On operational readiness, ELM said it would run two collection vehicles the first couple of weeks to learn routes and then transition to a single automated or semi-automatic truck where appropriate. On missed stops, ELM stated most missed calls stem from set-out timing and said crews often will swing back the same day or next day when feasible, but the company did not agree to a binding contract clause requiring next-day pickups.
ELM highlighted that cardboard (OCC) represents roughly 45% of recycling weight and said the town will not be charged to process OCC placed in the cardboard dumpsters. The contract includes two cardboard dumpsters for public use across from Town Hall; the Board noted these were included at $125 per dumpster per month each in the monthly fee calculations.
The Board directed staff and ELM to finalize a one-page flyer with the April dates, set-out guidance, cardboard instructions and FAQs for distribution before the March deliberative session and to post the material on the town website and Facebook page. The Board also asked staff to confirm dumpster and cart placements at Town, school and fire properties with an emphasis on consolidating cardboard at the school.
Quote (from the meeting minutes): "Last Casella pickup: Monday, March 30 (trash & recycling)." (ELM representative)
Next steps: the town will update the contract language to reflect agreed edits on communications and set-out timing and circulate the revised contract to the Board for review and signature.
