Wakefield sustainability committee allocates $251 for black-plastic recycling box

The Wakefield Environmental & Sustainability Committee voted to allocate $251 from its committee funds to obtain a collection box for plastic packaging, with an initial focus on black plastic, the group decided during its meeting.

Willie (committee member) moved “Motion to allocate funds for black plastic recycling,” and Melissa seconded. The motion passed after members indicated assent during roll-call confirmation. Chair acknowledged the committee will verify its fiscal-year budget before final purchase and said, “I’ll figure out what our that we have whether we have budget and if it is, a decent amount, we’ll do that. If it’s not, I’ll talk to Anne about using some RDP money.”

Members discussed two procurement options: a smaller on‑demand pickup box (about $35 plus per‑bag pickup) and a one‑time larger box (transcript references roughly $217–$250 for the larger unit). They agreed to advertise the collection at the sports-equipment swap on Aug. 29 and, if the box is only partly full, to store it at Town Hall until Town Day on Sept. 26 for further collection and promotion. Storage and post‑event pickup logistics were noted as constraints; the committee proposed using town‑hall space or members’ vehicles for interim storage.

The committee also discussed outreach logistics (flyer updates, kiosk timelines) and operational concerns such as where to stage the box at events and whom to contact for pickup. Willie offered to follow up with Creative Chaos Emporium and local contacts to coordinate drop‑off/pick‑up schedules. The group authorized moving forward with promotion of the collection on event materials but conditioned final purchase on confirmation of available committee funds.

The motion was recorded as approved in the meeting; implementation plans call for the committee to confirm the exact TerraCycle option, finalize storage and pickup arrangements, and reflect the collection on swap and Town Day materials.