Talking Trash

Recycling Campaigns gaining speed on the South Shore

Claire Sullivan, Executive Director of the South Shore Recycling Cooperative

Photos by Chris Bernstein

Before you throw something out, do you ever wonder: Is this too good for the trash? Claire Sullivan, executive director of the South Shore Recycling Cooperative (SSRC), hopes you do.

The SSRC is part of a state agency that partners with towns to encourage citizens to recycle. The goal of the cooperative is to reduce the cost of waste management. Each member town has a reciprocal agreement with the SSRC. The town receives help with recycling programs, hazardous waste disposal, composting and use of the SSRC website. Most towns do not have a specific recycling department, but will designate representatives from town agencies such as the Board of Health, Department of Public Works and the Department of Emergency Management. “There is a wide variety of people on the board, it is an interesting group,” Sullivan observed.

As the Director of the SSRC, Claire does not only oversee the cooperative, she also is involved with state wide recycling campaigns like MassRecycle Paper and local endeavors such as paint recycling.

Paper Pushers

When towns don’t recycle paper it is costly. Last year South Shore taxpayers spent two million dollars on paper disposal. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, paper, which also includes cardboard, comprises about 28 percent of waste in Massachusetts. The good news is that paper products are one of the easiest materials to recycle and are in demand for the making of new products. If all the paper thrown away in Massachusetts were recycled, the State would save over $70 million in disposal costs.

There is also an environmental cost to paper waste. MassRecycle, the mother agency to the SSRC, provide the following statistics: If residents of Massachusetts recycled one million more tons of paper a year, they could save the equivalent of 160 million gallons of oil. This amount of fuel could power 212,000 homes for one year and prevent the emission of about 3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. To put it another way, every 2 weeks Massachusetts residents and businesses throw away enough recyclable paper to fill Fenway Park.

Although Sullivan does not work specifically with local schools, the Mass DEP run a program called The Green Team that provides information and funding for individual institutions. Teachers can sign up for the program and there are prizes available for students, as well as supplies. Some schools have composting programs and paper recycling. “Children learn about the cycle of life,” says Sullivan.

The South Shore also has its own cutting edge paper recycling business located at the Libbey Industrial Park in East Weymouth. In collaboration with Mass Hauling, Capital Paper Recycling Inc. handles paper from Boston and the surrounding communities. The company implements single stream recycling, which means the paper, plastics, metals, and glass are sorted by hand.

The MassRecycle Paper Campaign has been in existence since 2007, but this spring they are partnering with CBS television and the Mass Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to encourage participation in paper recycling in our communities. Public service announcements will be aired during the NCAA basketball coverage as well as CBS TV4 and TV38 prime time shows. The campaign will be holding contests challenging people to recycle. There will also be a four-minute video airing on YouTube with specifics on the paper challenge. People are encouraged to visit the website for information about recyclable paper products.

Paint Can Revival

Latex paint is not hazardous and does not cost the state a lot of money to recycle, but its just plain messy and a lot of leftover paint ends up sitting in basements unused. Latex paint disposal is a national problem. About 75 million gallons of paint are wasted per year, which represents 10 percent of purchased latex paint.

The South Shore Recycling Cooperative coordinates about 12 hazardous waste drop-off days a year. Sullivan has to send away thoughtful citizens who want to get rid of their left over latex paint. Latex paint can’t be thrown out until it is dried. This is where things get messy. Mixing the excess paint with kitty litter will do the trick if you have the time and space, but there is a much better eco-friendly option—let the Paint Exchange in Scituate take care of it for you.

The Paint Exchange is the only paint recycling company in Massachusetts. Decorative painters Tania Keeble and Katharine Brown, founders and owners of the Paint Exchange, started the business because they were bothered by the amount of paint that was wasted from their projects. When the economy slowed down a few years ago, they decided to incorporate a “green” aspect to their business. Brown had always wanted to make the business more environmentally friendly and realized there was an opportunity to do so with paint recycling.

Paint recycling is an excellent example of the spirit of the idiom: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Instead of letting leftover paint go to waste, consumers bring excess paint to the Paint Exchange for a fee of $1 per can. The paint is then processed and mixed with other recycled paint. Color experts, Keeble and Brown mix the paints to produce a product they call rECOlor. Keeble explains that the paint is virtually a new type of “green” product, which is naturally low in EO compounds. Low EO compounds means less chemicals in the paint and therefore less smell; thus promoting a cleaner indoor air quality. Since the paint has more pigment than “virgin” paint, it goes on smooth, with great coverage. Gallon cans come in a range of colors and sell for about $22 each. When the consumer has leftover paint, they can return it to the Paint Exchange to repeat the cycle.

Sullivan has been a supporter of the Paint Exchange since its inception two years ago. In 2011 this relationship will be taken to an even higher level because the SSRC has been awarded grant money from the DEP for a local pilot project with the Paint Exchange. The project provides a permit to increase their paint storage and helps fund twelve dedicated latex paint collection days a year.

The women also recycle furniture, giving old items a “whole new look” says Keeble, who enjoys keeping up with the more creative side of the business. In addition to their recycled furniture and paint, The Welch Company in Scituate sells a private label created by the Paint Exchange, which features a seaside palette and can be purchase at their downtown Scituate location. The Paint Exchange also sells to homeowners, building and salvage businesses, green designers, and other businesses that sell green products. Plans for the future include selling paint wholesale and opening a store featuring their re-furbished furniture and other green products.

Paper and paint aren’t the only products handled by the South Shore Recycling Cooperative. The organization’s website provides local residents with a wealth of resources and helpful recycling facts and figures. Sullivan is also ready and willing to “talk trash” and share the importance of recycling with the general public.