Recycling and Renewable Energy Committee

Minutes from 25 July 2007, Town Hall, 6-7:00pm

Attending:  Mike Leger, Jim Denietolis, Amy Germain, Ghee Patrick, Lee Bartell

Preceding Minutes:  approved, and will be sent to Doug Johnstone, clerk

Banner article: Pru wrote an article, based on her attendance at our last meeting, plus with interviews with others, detailing some of our problems.  Clearly we need to do more, to educate, to get the word out, to get recycling bins into more places, Judge Walsh room, for starters.  Another idea is as places get certified to open (food, lodging), educate them.

Catherine Russo:  Catherine, from Promised Land TV Show, came to talk with us.  Her show is on Ch. 17, and is shown 3 times each week, and is now going to be an audio show on WOMR, as well.  She gave us a bunch of ideas to mull over, all on how we can get the word out, help educate folks, etc.  She suggested that we may be able to get the old Firehouse that's used for various causes.  We could have examples of all that can be recycled and more.  We can make a "movie" of how to recycle at the Transfer Station.  We could ask Jay Critchly to come up with an idea for a Transfer Station installation.  Amy will contact Jay.  She told us that there are DVD players that play a loop, over and over, for $100, and maybe we could have one at our Swap Shop.  She has been on the Recycling Committee in the past.  Her email is: catherinesofia@verizon.net  Thanks, Catherine.

Integrated Paper:  It's operating, but not totally set up yet.  Plastic and metal go in together.

Recycling Bins & Tires:  It's printed in the new Banner that fees are now set in place, $4 per tire, and $5 for a blue recycling bin (that is the actual cost of the bin).  Mike expressed the disappointment of all of us to have not been part of the process, to have been left out of the discussion.  We feel that we should've known about this before reading it in the paper.   Also, we feel that because "Provincetown" is on the new bins, along with the town seal, they may become a collector's item, and they'll disappear from use.  We hope we're wrong.

Barrel of bags:  Plastic shopping bags, plastic trash bags, those soft plastic bags cannot go into the plastic bin, as they clog it up.  One idea is to have a barrel next to it, that would be a receptacle for plastic bags.

Sandy:  We need to connect with Sandy more, as she's the person who's in the middle of it, the whole DPW, plus recycling.  We're thrilled that Jim, from the DPW, attends our meetings, and we realize that we need to keep in touch with Sandy, too.

Grand Union's plastic bags:  The bin that holds plastic bags, right inside the store, gets emptied and sent to hilexpoly.com, where they recycle the bags into new bags.   And they're selling fabric bags, too.  Good going!

Good recycling:  Both Devita and Roderick trash/recycling haulers, are doing a really good job, and we want to acknowledge that.  Amy will draft a commendation.

Other Haulers:  BFI, now Allied Waste, and Cape Cod Disposal, pick up trash and recyclables in town, toss them all together into the hopper, and drive away, out of town.  It seems highly unlikely that anything is being recycled.  Ghee will talk to some of their customers.  She will also talk to Sarah Peake about plastic bottles, as bottlers have said that they're running out of the plastic used now, and who knows what's next?

Brian Carlson's Letter:  We saw the letter that Brian sent out to restaurants and food establishments, and were impressed with it.  We're anxious to hear if what feedback he gets from it.  We discussed how some big establishments in town, the Crown & Anchor for one, that doesn't recycle.  To be fair, they said that they did recycle Red Bull cans.  But that's all.  What about all the vodka bottles, wine bottles, water bottles, and the list goes on?

Jane Evans:  Jane is the 1/2 time Health Agent.  We wonder if it isn't important to have her position be full time in the summer, then 1/2 time may make sense.  We saw the letter that she received from visitors, who were really disappointed that both on the ferry from Boston, and on a whalewatch, there was no recycling.  Amy will talk to the Dolphin Fleet and Lee will talk to the Portuguese Princess.

Other Transfer Stations:  Ghee suggested, when we all have more time, perhaps fall, that we visit other Transfer Stations and see how they do it.  We all agreed that ours is not the easiest to use, nor the most welcoming, and that sometimes folks are not treated well.  Lee had the idea to make Burma Shave signs, all along the road, from right after the gate near Race Point Road, to the top of the hill.  She'll bring her ideas to the next meeting.

Cape Light Compact:  Ghee said that they did a great job for her, and that maybe they'd want to be in the Firehouse with us. They'd have plenty of materials.

Edith Mello:  "Mass Recycles" is a program that the MA DEP is sponsoring in a grant-making workshop which Mike will attend in August in Yarmouth.  Edith DeMello is the contact for it, and getting recycling bins is what it's all about. 

Next Meeting:  Wednesday, 8 August 2007, 6:00pm, Town Hall

minutes submitted by Lee

Lee Bartell
9 Seashore Park Drive
Provincetown, MA 02657
508-487-8838
cell 508-237-6111
capewoman@cape.com