Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Waste Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Westford reports smooth early rollout of pay-as-you-throw program; hardship and disability accommodations offered
Summary
Town officials told the Select Board the pay-as-you-throw rollout is proceeding largely smoothly after deployment of roughly 8,000 carts, with about $66,000 in bag sales reported; the town has two pilot assistance programs for residents with financial hardship or disabilities.
Town Manager Mike told the Select Board on July 14 that Westford's pay-as-you-throw program has moved into its second week with most households adapting to the new system. "We rolled out about 8,000 carts in total," Mike said, and staff reported early retail bag sales of about $66,000.
Officials acknowledged a handful of service hiccups and some overflow or noncompliant bags but said collections and tagging have generally been effective. Mike said the town will publish options later this week for residents who need to dispose of old carts and will continue to pick up missed carts.
Board members highlighted plans to evaluate longer-term options. "Over the next 3 to 6 months, we'll be looking at what a second cart or a cart subscription looks like," Mike said, adding the operations analyst will lead that study. Select Board members praised the staff and volunteer effort that produced the rollout.
Officials described two immediate assistance measures. Mike said the senior center is operating an income-based pilot hardship program that offers a limited supply of bags using National Grid's reduced-rate eligibility as a qualification metric. He also said the town has a disability accommodation pilot that allows residents who cannot manage carts for medical reasons to exchange a cart for an equivalent-volume bag.
The town said it will monitor usage and may recommend program adjustments after several months of data. The board requested continued updates as staff assess participation, curbside compliance and any need for enforcement or additional outreach.
