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Selectboard weighs ending local glass recycling after county plans fee
Summary
The Pittsburg Selectboard discussed a county plan to charge communities roughly $25 per ton to process glass, prompting staff recommendations to stop hauling glass and questions about budget impacts; board members said they will seek more information before acting.
The Pittsburg Selectboard on Feb. 10 heard that the regional recycling authority plans to begin charging communities for glass disposal, a change that could prompt the town to stop accepting glass at the transfer station.
“Said they’re gonna start charging $25 a ton,” said S3, a staff member who shared an email from the authority. The staff member recommended, bluntly, “Throw all glass into MSW,” meaning municipal solid waste, unless a different hauling arrangement can be found.
The discussion focused on how the fee would affect the town budget and whether Pittsburg should continue to collect and haul glass. Board members noted that the consortium currently includes a line in the county budget that helps cover recycling costs; if towns cease hauling glass the timing and the share of costs could change. One participant said the consortium previously added roughly $10,000 to the shared budget to cover transport and handling; exact figures for the coming year were not provided in the meeting transcript.
Board members and staff debated alternatives: (1) stop collecting glass locally and place it in municipal waste to avoid per-ton hauling fees; (2) continue hauling but accept that a per-ton fee would be charged; or (3) seek a new regional solution. S3 said the authority’s decision leaves towns to “find their own solution,” and that the town will ask the authority for clarification before making a local policy change.
The chair (S1) and other board members said they expect to get a fuller explanation from the authority and may convene a special meeting to decide whether to alter the town’s recycling practice before the next contract year. No formal vote was taken; the board requested follow-up information to determine whether a public hearing or a budget adjustment will be needed.
What’s next: The board plans to ask the regional authority for details about the proposed fee and how it would be billed to member towns. If Pittsburg chooses to stop accepting glass, the change would likely be addressed at a future meeting and could affect the town’s waste budget and service arrangements.
