Our doorbell was ringing constantly this weekend, and not just on Halloween. The election for Cambridge City Council and School Committee is coming up on November 8, and the candidates (or their staffers) are really doing their due diligence in going door to door. I’ve gotten to the point where I just don’t answer anymore. Is this how people in New Hampshire feel during the primaries? The sheer amount of paper wasted is ridiculous!

That's a lot of paper.

So I decided to count up exactly how many flyers we received in our mailbox (or on our porch…or inside our front door). I know this is a minor thing, but it seems like an interesting thought experiment, since the candidates all say they care about environmental issues.

City Council

• Marjorie Decker – 8
• Henrietta Davis – 7
• David Maher – 5
• Denise Simmons – 3 (in a plastic bag!)
• Minka vanBeuzekom – 3
• Tim Toomey – 2
• Leland Cheung – 2
• Ken Reeves – 2
• Charlie Marquardt – 2
• Craig Kelley – 2
• Matt Nelson – 1
• Larry Ward – 1
• Sam Seidel – 0
• Tom Stohlman – 0
• James Williamson – 0
• Gregg Moree – 0
• Gary Mello – 0
• Jamake Pascual – 0

Ultimately, I don’t think it’s going to change who gets my #1 vote. I’m too passionate about Henrietta Davis, Minka vanBeuzekom (a Pragmatic Environmentalism reader!), and Leland Cheung—and now Merven Osborne—to decide on someone else based solely on their literature. However, some people I was lukewarm about did get bumped down the list because of it (I’m looking at you, Denise Simmons).

Some pieces really impressed me as being something more than just junk mail. Henrietta Davis sends out updates quarterly, with great information that we actually put on our refrigerator, like farmers market dates and locations, useful phone numbers, and local discounts. David Maher’s flyer unfolded into a window sign. Way to make it do double duty!

If you want to do your own research on the candidates, Robert Winters has some great profiles on each of them, as well as voting records for the incumbents. His busy site gives me a crazy old man vibe, but I think he does a better job covering Cambridge politics than Cambridge Chronicle.

I even tried to model this year’s Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival on it, which was only somewhat successful. We recycled for the first time—so much that we overflowed our capacity for it. But the composting didn’t go over so well, and the whole thing was unnecessarily hectic.

The Boston Local Food Festival's waste stations.

So what did I learn from the comparison?

• Require compostable dishes. The Boston Local Food Festival’s composting worked because people didn’t have to dispose of their food and dishes separately or worry that food contaminated their recyclable dishes. Everything could just be thrown in together. Compostable dishes were a requirement that was included in the food vendors’ contracts.
• Use a single waste disposal company. Save That Stuff handled the collection and disposal of the recycling, composting, and trash. Berklee used Jet-A-Way for trash, Capital Paper Recycling for recycling, Planet Police for compost, and Acme Building Services to collect it all. This made sense in our last-minute scramble to pull this all together, since they’re all companies that Berklee already contracts with, but it made for a disjointed and inefficient system. With one company, the collectors are knowledgable about the process—I saw one Save That Stuff woman reaching into the trash (with gloves) to pull out plates that people had mistakenly thrown away, decreasing the trash by at least half. This is actually in Save That Stuff’s best interest, since it costs more to throw stuff away than to recycle or compost it.
• Enlist passionate volunteers. The Boston Local Food Festival had two friendly volunteers at each station to educate people about what goes where. BeanTown had one student at each, who had been randomly assigned the job. Some of them were great at engaging festivalgoers; others, not so much. Enlisting volunteers who are actually enthusiastic and knowledgable about reducing waste would help.

The Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival's waste stations.

my morning

Much like reusable bags, it takes a little while to train myself to use them (and I still only remember them half the time). When I was making the effort to stop, it seemed like too much extra willpower to switch to reusables, and I wondered if it was even worthwhile.

I had a hard time tracking down data on how many times I’d have to use a reusable cup in order to break even with the disposable ones Starbucks uses. The only study that I could find back-up material for is from 1994. Consider how much has changed in the world since 1994. (Did the internet even exist?)

Everyone made a big deal of the fact that the study said a ceramic cup would have to be used 1,006 times to break even with styrofoam, but they seemed to ignore the fact that it only needs to be used 39 times to break even with paper (far more common now), and a plastic cup only has to be used 17 times. Easy enough for a person with a coffee-a-day habit. And dishwasher efficiency has increased 42% since 1990, so reusables would make even more sense now than they did back then.

Ironically, I think one of the things that has changed the most since 1994 is that most places have switched from styrofoam cups to paper, which requires a lot more energy to produce. Of course, styrofoam can’t be recycled or break down in landfills, but neither can paper cups coated in plastic. (Unfortunately, disposable plastic cups for iced drinks weren’t even considered in the study.)

Eventually I hope to actually abandon this vice, but until then, I’ll make the effort to use reusable cups secure in the knowledge that after the first dozen or so, it’s far better than the disposable alternative.

A trash can turned into a lovely fall display

The organizers were trying to make it a zero-waste event, so the regular trash cans around the area were covered up and instead waste stations were sprinkled around the grounds with bags for trash, compost, and recyclables. Even better, a volunteer stood behind each one to help people figure out what belonged where, making sure everything ended up in the right place and turning it into an educational experience.

A lovely trash monitor

I’m not sure how much Save That Stuff was involved with organizing the trash collection, but they were partners for the event and they had a booth there explaining very clearly the recycling process and what different materials get recycled into. They seem to be very proactive when it comes to encouraging people to recycle.

To cut down on the trash, the festival organizers required vendors to serve food and drink in compostable containers, and the water available was tap water (billed as “local water from the Quabbin Reservoir”) served in paper cups. There were still offenders (I’m looking at you, Olivia’s Organics, with salads packed in two layers of plastic), but overall it was far less waste than one would expect from a festival of this size.

I think the Boston Local Food Festival was a model for how waste collection (and reduction) at large events like this should be handled. Now that this has been done well, I’m hoping that other events will follow its example. And I’m hoping that we can do something like this for Berklee events like the Opening Day barbeque, too.

One year ago: Mac ‘n’ Squash.

Are there any plans for collecting compost in the future?

The limiting factor on that right now is that there is no facility within reasonable driving distance of the city that can handle the kind of volume of food scraps that we’d get if we had a curbside collection program for residents. There are a few private companies that are moving forward with plans to build new facilities for the Boston area, so that needs to come first. We need a facility that can process yard waste and food waste together, similar to the way that the San Francisco and the Seattle programs work. The programs in place for businesses and for the drop-off program, that food waste is being taken to farms that are basically at capacity. They can’t handle the kind of volume that we’d get with the curbside program.

What farms are they being taken to right now?

There’s Rocky Hill Farm in Saugus and Brick-Ends Farm in Hamilton. They’re large-scale facilities, but they’re small when we’re talking about providing collection to everybody in Cambridge. I’ve estimated that we’d see at least 3,000 tons a year; it could be three times that. The food waste drop-off program is basically 50 tons a year—we’d be doing about 50 tons a week.

The farms are doing outdoor composting in windrows, long piles they turn every day. It would be impossible, I think, to site an outdoor composting facility in the Boston area. You’ve got neighbors and odor concerns. So the companies are looking at this technology called anaerobic digestion, where you can do composting indoors in an environment where there’s no oxygen, and they can capture the methane that is emitted during that composting for electricity or fuel. The city of Toronto has a few of these, and it’s very popular in Europe in urban areas.

The city is watching what the private sector is exploring. Casella Recycling, is looking at anaerobic digestion, as well as Save That Stuff, a local hauler. There are a few other projects that are being considered.

I think within the next two to three years we’ll be in a better position to consider curbside organics collection. We’ve had the drop-off program for residents for two years, and businesses have had the curbside organics for four years. We get a lot of questions about this, and I hope we will be in a position to offer it.

The best option, of course, is to try to compost at home. If you have backyard space, DPW sells compost bins for $50. Apartment dwellers can compost indoors with a worm bin.

If you’re not sure whether something is recyclable in your town, is it better to toss it in the bin for them to sort at the center or should you just not include it?

Well, the top items that are not accepted are food, plastic bags, Styrofoam, VCR tapes, liquids, and light bulbs. We don’t take glass dishes or cups, and no plate glass, like picture frames or windows, which can be leaded glass. Currently no pizza boxes, but the new program is going to accept empty pizza boxes. Other than those items, we do accept a lot of materials: all paper, all plastics, glass bottles, metal can, and cardboard. With the new program, any stiff plastic will be accepted, even if it doesn’t have a number on it.

Ultimately, if you’re not sure, I’d say, “When in doubt, throw it out.” But call or visit the website and check. The big no-nos are plastic bags and food waste.

Anything else about the program that you want to share?

I’d love to get the word out about the recycling tours. We’ve got one a month: September 29, October 28, and November 18. They’re open to the public, and it’s a really great way for people to see the recycling process in action and feel confident that what they’re putting in their bin is really getting sorted and sent to companies to be made into new products. Recycling is real, and it’s an important industry in our economy. We have a six-minute video on our website of the recycling processes in Charlestown, so if you can’t make the tour, you can also watch that. To sign up, e-mail recycle@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-4815.

One year ago: My Biggest Environmental Sin.

What are the benefits of single-stream recycling?

Single-stream means that residents can mix clean bottles and cans, paper, and cardboard together in the same bin, so people don’t have to sort recycling anymore. Across the country, communities have seen that when you don’t require sorting, you get a lot more participation. It makes it easier for people. We’re also switching to a different type of truck that can take any size cardboard, so people won’t have to cut their cardboard or flatten it down to three feet by three feet, which is a huge reason why a lot of cardboard in Cambridge doesn’t make it into the recycling truck.

There are also going to be new materials that are going to be accepted as part of the single-stream program: empty pizza boxes; big plastic items like laundry baskets, buckets, plastic toys; spiral cans like those that potato chips, coffee, or nuts come in; and empty paper coffee cups.

The city is going to be providing large recycling toters on wheels to all residences. Providing a bigger container also increases the amount recycled. Sometimes when people’s bins fill up, the rest goes in the trash. So the bigger the bin, the more recycling we’ll get. The toters are easier to move to the curbs; they don’t require lifting. I think the sidewalks are going to be clearer, and the trucks themselves will be safer because they’re going to empty those toters into the back of the truck, rather than over the top. There are a lot of different benefits, from minimizing the trash to cleaning up the streets and just making it easier for people to participate.

How much do you expect recycling to increase?

Cambridge has a pretty high recycling rate already, at about 35%. That includes yard waste, electronics, and food waste that we collect through our composting program. We are expecting between a 10% and 25% increase in recycling tons. We’ve worked with the state to project what the increase will be, and they believe that we’re going to see a 25% increase. We hope to see at least 10%. If we achieve more than that, it will be fantastic.

Have other towns seen increased recycling rates?

Yes. The City of Boston has switched neighborhood by neighborhood—they’ve just finished up—and they are looking at almost doubling their recycling rate across town. Communities in Massachusetts and across the country, like Newton and Worcester, Everett and Chelsea, Quincy and Framingham, every one is seeing a huge increase. You definitely see more when you give out the large toters; some communities have not given those out and they don’t see as big of a jump.

Do you think contamination is going to rise with single-stream recycling?

As always, bottles and cans must be emptied and rinsed out. No food waste is accepted. As long as people are recycling correctly, there shouldn’t be any increase in contamination. It’s not acceptable now, and it’s not going to be acceptable in the single-stream program. If recycling bins have trash, food waste, or other unacceptable items, drivers have the ability to reject them by leaving an orange sitcker. We try to be proactive about educating residents when they’re not recycling properly, to make sure they know what to do right the next week.

Cambridge recycling is pretty clean overall. Our processor is Casella Recycling, they’re based in Charlestown, and they consistently report to us that we have no more than 3% contamination, which is very low, and they’re able to handle that. They’ve told us that we’re probably the cleanest load in the Boston area, and they take from about 50 communities.

Clean recycling is important because the material is marketed to companies that use new products. Good education and immediate feedback to the residents is key. Casella won’t accept loads with more than 7% contamination, that’s part of our contract, and our drivers don’t want to get their trucks rejected, because that causes problems and delays.

The first quality check is the education of residents, because if people know what to recycle, they’re not going to put the wrong stuff in the bins. The second check is when the drivers can reject the bins. And then the third check is at the recycling facility, where there’s sorting going on with different technologies and people. They’re sorting that material and selling it back to markets, so contamination isn’t acceptable. They’ll remove that stuff, whether it’s trash or dirty recycling.

How much is this whole process costing the city?

We’re looking at about $700,000 to purchase toters for 1-5 unit buildings, and the recycling collection contract is increasing a little bit, but really it’s going to present a savings to the city overall, because the more that we recycle, the more the city saves. There’s about a $60 difference between the cost to throw a ton of waste out versus the cost to recycle a ton, so with an increase in recycling we’re going to see disposal savings.

How long will it be until the savings makes up for the outlay?

A few years, definitely, but long term, the city is committed to recycling. And overall, especially with the new vehicles, I think it’s going to make things a lot easier for residents. There are different ways to try to increase recycling, and we’ve decided that single-stream is going to be the one way that we definitely can do. Other communities have implemented pay-as-you-throw systems, where residents pay for each bag of trash that they throw out. That really hasn’t been a program that the city has been able to consider seriously. It’s difficult to implement with so many multi-family units, and I don’t think there’s the political will for that kind of program. By making recycling easier and providing bigger containers, I think we’re going to see the kind of jump in participation that we’re looking for.

What’s happening to the old bins?

People can continue to use the bins inside their houses if they want to fill them up and then empty them in the toters, which would be kept outside. If not, we’re going to be collecting bins at the curb the day after collection through November. There may be broken bins that we recycle, but the other ones we’ll clean, and those will be available to people who are going to continue to use bins.

There are basically three options for recycling come October 25. We’re going to be providing toters to residents. If they feel that they don’t need them or can’t fit them on their property, they have other options. People can convert a trash can for recycling, and we have stickers that people can put on their cans similar to the yard waste program. And the third option, which is really the last resort, is continuing using the small bins.

There are two sizes of toters. Single-family homes are going to get one small, 65-gallon toter. That’s the equivalent of 3 ½ bins. Two-family homes are going to get two small toters, and three- to five-unit buildings are going to get two large toters. Those are 95 gallons, and they can fit the equivalent of over 5 bins. The amount of recycling that we see out of households is definitely going to increase because cardboard’s going to be much easier, and we’re taking those large plastics, so they’re going to take up more space.

If people want to change the size of their toter, they need to contact us by September 1 at recycle@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4815, when we’re going to be putting the order in. We’ve heard from almost 400 households who want to go bigger, go smaller, or share a bin with a neighbor.

Look for the second half of my interview with Randi Mail on Thursday, when we’ll talk about the possibility of curbside composting, what to do with materials you aren’t sure are recyclable, and upcoming tours of the Casella Recycling plant.

One year ago: Corn Plastic.

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Oil-based paint should always be taken to local hazardous waste disposal days. Latex paint—which I think most indoor paint is—can be dried out and put in the trash with the lid off. (Cambridge doesn’t recycle the paint cans.) An inch or less will dry out by itself with the cover off; more should be mixed with clay clumping kitty litter or poured out into a shallow container to dry.

This worked fine with our nearly empty cans. But I ran into a problem with my parents’ old paint. It was at least 15 years old and had separated during that time. The paint on bottom had already dried out; the oil on top never did, even when we poured it out and left it for days. I think we’re going to have to take that to Cambridge’s next hazardous waste disposal day on April 24.

I wonder if my parents’ paint would have been in such bad shape if it had been stored properly. We store our cans upside down so air can’t get to the paint. Hopefully it’ll still be good to use if we need it later.

I had no idea how to clean up a broken thermometer; I just knew that mercury was hazardous. So I immediately went to the EPA website, and what I found out was terrifying. Here are some of their directions for cleanup:

• “Have everyone else leave the area…. Open all windows and doors to the outside; shut all doors to other parts of the house.”
• “If a spill occurs on carpet, curtains, upholstery or other absorbent surfaces, these contaminated items should be thrown away.”
• “Keep the area well ventilated to the outside (i.e., windows open and fans in exterior windows running) for at least 24 hours after your successful cleanup. Continue to keep pets and children out of cleanup area.”
• “Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury. The vacuum will put mercury into the air and increase exposure.”
• “Never wash clothing or other items that have come in direct contact with mercury in a washing machine, because mercury may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.”

Follow the link above for full instructions. But you get the drift: we had to throw away our area rug, take a couple hours tracking down every single bead of mercury with tape, and spend a day in the bedroom with the cats while the living room aired out. And I’m still not entirely sure that we got it all.

Our new digital thermometer. It takes just 10 seconds to register. And no mercury!

I know, I know, who has a mercury thermometer anymore anyway? We got ours a good 12 years ago, before we knew there was anything wrong with them. And if I’d known cleanup would be this much of a hassle, I would have recycled it long ago, while it  was still whole.

I think we’ll have to drop off the mercury-tainted trash at the Recycling Drop-Off Center the next time it’s open. But just to be sure I’ve emailed the DPW to ask. I’ll keep you posted.

That's not so bad, is it?

I’m still not a fan of touching the handles, though. Do you hear me, Big Belly? I want motion detectors or foot pedals! Oh, well. Until a newer model comes out I guess I’ll just have to carry hand sanitizer….