Hamilton, MA

1. HAMILTON’S CURBSIDE
ORGANICS PROGRAM
Gretel Clark
Recycle Committee Chair,
Hamilton, MA

2. Town of Hamilton
30 miles north of
Boston on Cape Ann
Tipping Trash $70/ton

3. Town of Hamilton
Semi rural, conservative,
New England town
(15 square miles)
2,400 households
A little more than 7,000
residents

4. Today, Hamiltonians produce !
<.5 tons solid waste; recycling 55% of
total waste; 10.56% is composted kitchen
organic waste. !
Some Trashy Facts…
Average MA household
produces one ton of solid
waste annually!
Hamiltonians
produced 1.22 tons of
solid waste annually
before 2006!

5. 2006: Status Quo
0
500
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2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY12
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons

6. 2007: State’s solid waste bans
implemented but not enforced.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
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3500
4000
4500
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY12
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons

7. 2008: Initial Waste Reduction Program
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4500
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY12
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons

8. 2009: First Pilot Organics Program (75
families)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY12
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons

10. 2010: Second Pilot Organics Program
(600 families)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
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4000
4500
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY12
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons

12. 2011: Continuation of second pilot
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY12
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons

13. 2012: New SMART Trash Program
Instituted
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
CYO6 CY07 CY08 CY09 CY10 CY11 CY12
Solid Waste Tons
Organics
Recycling Tons

14. Keys to Success
• Find a hauler
• Find a composter
• Design a pilot program
• Keep good records
• Court political leaders
• Institute a PAYT program
• Gather a crew of dedicated enthusiastic unconquerable
organizers
• Establish a Trash Hot Line
• Put together a strong education program
• Implement bi-weekly solid waste collection program
• Offer free compost to participants

15. Lessons Learned
• People will pay for
organic collection
• Organics are ~ ½
of trash weight/hh
• Larvae in hot
summer months
• Freezing in cold
winter months
• Animal control
• Overcoming the
“ick” factor

16. Benefits To The Town
• Trash costs can be cut in half
• New bag revenue
• Longer term plans: to install an anaerobic digester on the
landfill site