Town considers trash service switch

SALISBURY — The time to make a decision on whether to enter into a contract with the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority (CRRA) is drawing near and other options are being discussed. CRRA takes the town’s garbage from the transfer station the town pays a fee per pound.As part of that process, the Transfer Station and Recycling Advisory Committee (which oversees the current Salisbury-Sharon transfer station) is now looking at how the two towns stack up in recycling compared to other municipalities.At a Transfer Station and Recycling Advisory Committee (TRAC) meeting March 17, transfer station manager Brian Bartram and committee member Bob Palmer had statistics that show Salisbury-Sharon has recycling rates that compare favorably to larger towns and to towns that have adopted a Pay As You Throw (PAYT) model.In terms of fiber (paper, cardboard), the Pay As You Throw towns of Mansfield (pop. 25,000), Stonington (pop. 11,300), and Stafford (pop. 18,000) all have lower recycling rates than Salisbury and Sharon, which have a combined population of about 6,400. In pounds per capita, Mansfield recycles 241 pounds, Stonington 256 and Stafford 116. Salisbury-Sharon comes in at 275 pounds per capita.Likewise in the bottles and cans category: Mansfield recycles 97 pounds per capita, Stafford 59, Salisbury 109. (Data from Stonington was unavailable.)Adding West Hartford, a densely populated suburban area that is not PAYT, to the mix, and looking at scrap metal recycling, Salisbury handles 75 pounds per capita, and West Hartford just 12.In electronic waste — obsolete computers, etc. — Salisbury again is far ahead with 27 pounds per capita, compared to Stonington’s six pounds and West Hartford’s two.On the other hand, Salisbury-Sharon recycles far less yard waste (leaves) than other, more urban towns, by design. Palmer said that residents are not encouraged to bring leaves and yard waste to the transfer station. “We want it in the woods.” Looking to the future, the building of a new transfer station, and the CRRA contract, the question emerges: Should Salisbury-Sharon try selling more recyclables?Palmer said it would be prudent to start thinking about this now, rather than after a CRRA contract is signed.Pros include enhanced recycling rates and generating enough revenue to lower user fees; cons include costs of specialized equipment and, possibly, additional manpower, and the volatility of markets for recyclables.Salisbury First Selectman Curtis Rand said it would be interesting to get a consultant’s take on the matter, but wondered if there was enough time before finalizing the CRRA contract, probably in June.