By Kristin Battistoni, Haddam Sustainability Committee
(January 16, 2025) — The phrase “Be Careful What You Wish For” comes to mind when I think about my relationship with Haddam’s Trex Soft Plastic Recycling program. The Haddam Sustainability Committee (HSC) started this program in 2019 with much enthusiasm and community support. When first elected, Governor Ned Lamont came to visit Haddam and stayed to help weigh bags one afternoon.
We used to do Facebook Live weigh-ins once a week. It was not uncommon to have weights during a six-month period that were more than two tons. Pre-Covid the program was more successful than any of us anticipated. During Covid, the program lost all momentum. Over the past year, participation has begun to build up again and momentum is returning.
Here is the current Trex Recycling Challenge: Collect 1000 pounds of soft plastic in a one-year time frame and receive a Trex bench as a thank-you. We currently have two benches at the Town Office Building, one at Social Services (photo below) and one waiting to be placed.
Our last collection period expired at the end of November 2024 with a total of 2,546 lbs. collected. It may not seem like a lot, but it is the equivalent of one Jersey barrier. This is town money we did not have to spend disposing of our bulky waste.
We have a small group of volunteers who go to the Transfer Station at least three times a week for collections. A brown shed was placed next to household trash for the Trex program. The HSC has taken on the responsibility of making sure this program continues to grow. Collection is more efficient if the material put into the shed is clean, dry and is truly applicable to the program (soft and stretchy, not hard and crinkly). Tied-up bags are much appreciated. It is no fun having to chase down plastic that flies out on a cold, windy day. If you do not have a Transfer Station Pass, we also have a collection area at the Town Office Building.
It is no surprise that the cost of disposing garbage will continue to rise. The HSC is constantly looking for ways to help reduce the amount of material we are disposing of. A program we are actively involved in is the removal of food scraps from the bulky waste. During the same time frame as the Trex collection, we removed 60,825 lbs. of food waste that was then turned into compost through a program provided by Blue Earth. That is the equivalent of twenty-eight Jersey barriers.
In addition, Bay State Recycling has several locations around Haddam allowing our town to recycle 74,865 lbs. of textiles in 2024. That is the equivalent thirty Jersey barriers. The textile recycling, electronics and others not only reduce the amount of material we throw away, but provide income to the town. A list of all HSC programs and initiatives can be found on the town website at www.haddam.org under the Sustainability Committee page
If you are interested in helping, or have an idea for a project, please reach out to us at HaddamSustainabilityCommittee@gmail.com. Our meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of the month in person and on Zoom. Our meetings are recorded and available on the website for later viewing.
Photo by Neal Perron
