2013 RHODE ISLAND COMPOSTING CONFERENCE

Town of Hamilton

30 miles north of Boston on Cape Ann

Tipping Trash $70/ton

Town of Hamilton

Semi rural, conservative, New England town (15 square miles)

2600 households

A little more than 8,000 residents

Today, Hamiltonians produce

<.5 tons solid waste; recycling 50%;

10.56% is composted kitchen

organic waste.

Some facts…

Average MA

household

produces one tone

of solid waste

annually

Hamiltonians

produced 1.22

tons waste

annually before

2006

2006: Status Quo

2007: Blue Boxes Introduced

2008: Waste Reduction Program

2009: Eliminate Organics from SW

2010: Green Gallon Barrels Introduced

2011: Special Split Body Truck Built

2012: New Trash Program Instituted

Keys to Success• Find a hauler• Find a composter• Design a pilot program• Court political leaders• Institute a PAYT program• Charge high rate for overage bags• Gather a crew of dedicated enthusiastic unconquerable

organizers• Establish a Trash Hot Line• Put together a strong education program• Find funding• Implement bi-weekly solid waste collection program

Lessons Learned• Larvae in hot

summer months• Freezing in cold

winter months• Animal control• Overcoming the

“ick” factor

Benefits To the Town

•Trash costs can be cut in half•New bag revenue (poor recyclers are now paying for

the trash costs, not all their neighbors who provide the tax base.)

•Anaerobic digester