Tracy Mirsky – Recycling Coordinator – 485-9051

Town Hall Hours: Tuesdays 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Thursdays 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

RECYCLING ANNUAL REPORT

RECYCLING
There is no “dump site” or municipally contracted trash removal in Harwinton. Each household pays a hauler of their choice to pick up trash and recyclables from curbside. The hauler transports this waste to the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority’s (CRRA) transfer station in Torrington. It is then transported to its Hartford facility where the garbage is incinerated and the ash is properly disposed. The recyclables are sorted and processed. Harwinton is charged a per ton “tip fee” for garbage disposal, $69/ton for FY 07-08. There is no fee charged for transporting and processing recyclables. These include: newspaper, catalogs, magazines, glossy paper, office paper, junk mail, brown paper bags, corrugated cardboard, glass and aluminum beverage containers, aluminum foil and foil containers, #1 and #2 plastic containers, milk and juice cartons. CRRA has added gray boxboard ( for eg., cereal , pasta, tissue, and gift boxes) to the list of curbside recyclables. Residents are encouraged to recycle as much as possible to take the weight out of the garbage and to conserve natural resources. In addition, Harwinton has signed on to become a “clean energy” community. Every household and business can sign up for CT Clean Energy Options to support the use of wind, solar, and hydro-electric power instead of oil to generate electricity for the power grid. For every 100 residents who sign up, the town qualifies for a free 1kw solar energy panel. Call me for details.

A comparison with FY 2006-2007 follows:

FY 06-07 FY 07-08

CRRA Fees $176,470.00 (tip fee $70/ton) $162,495.00 (tip fee $69 /ton)
CRRA MSW 2,521.00 tons 2,355.00 tons
Recycling 417.29 tons 460.00 tons
Office Paper 4.30 tons 3.97 tons
Scrap Metal 17.49 tons 28.50 tons
Used Motor Oil 1,125.00 gal. 430.00 gal.
Antifreeze 300.00 gal. 100.00 gal.
Leaves 20.80 tons 26.00 tons
Christmas Trees 80.00 plus trees 80.00 plus trees
Storage Batteries 1.04 tons 49.00 batteries

Monthly Office Paper/Junk Mail Recycling (town sponsored):
Averaged 18-20 participants/month

Electronics Collection (CRRA sponsored):
FY 06-07 131 residents – 7.42 tons FY 07-08 154 residents – 9.89 tons

Household Hazardous Waste Collections (town sponsored):
FY 06-07 58 residents FY 07-08 53 residents
10 mercury thermometers 3 mercury thermometers

Rechargeable batteries and compact fluorescent light bulbs (cfl’s) are collected at the Town Garage, along with oil, antifreeze, and vehicle batteries (First Sat. every month except Oct. 9-11AM). Cfl’s may also be dropped off at the Town Clerk’s window during Town Hall hours. Annual recycling calendars are bulk mailed to all residents late December. Detailed information about town-sponsored collections are bulk-mailed each Spring and Fall. Educational outreach is scheduled annually around Earth Day, the Harwinton Fair, and America Recycles Day. Recycling questions can be directed to 485-9051 (Tuesday 12:30-3:30 PM, Thursday 8:30-3:30PM ) or 485-9647 (Mon-Fri 8AM-8PM)

Respectfully submitted,
Tracy Mirsky – Recycling Coordinator

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