By Kathy Brown.
In Connecticut, we use over 1 million single-use shopping bags a year. That’s just single use shopping bags. That doesn’t include bags from loaves of bread, bags from your frozen vegetables, Ziploc bags you use in your kids’ lunches, cereal bags, the bags that keep your newspapers dry, and a plethora of other plastic in our daily lives.
On Nov. 1, 2018, Haddam started collecting plastic bags, and if we collect enough bags within 6 months (500 lbs.), we will earn a free Trex bench. This is part of a program sponsored by the Trex Company, which provided recycling bins for collection, which have been placed at the Transfer Station, Brainerd Library, Town Hall, River Valley Provisions in Tylerville, and Social Services. Students can also bring plastic bags to Haddam Elementary School. What can be recycled? Plastic that is clean, dry, and free of food residue including:
- pallet wrap
- stretch film
- grocery bags
- bread bags
- case overwrap
- dry cleaning bags
- newspaper sleeves
- ice bags
- wood pellet bags
- Ziploc & other reclosable food storage bags
- produce bags
- bubble wrap and air pillows
- salt bags
- cereal bags
In September, Haddam registered the town as a “participating community” in Sustainable CT. According to the minutes of the Sept. 10, 2018 Board of Selectmen meeting, “This resolution is an ongoing process looking at recycling, infrastructure, energy savings, within our community [to] help make Connecticut sustainable on many different levels. . . Sustainable CT is a comprehensive, statewide, action-oriented voluntary certification program, built by and for municipalities, with the vision that Sustainable CT communities thrive to be thriving, resilient, collaborative, and forward looking. They build community and local economy. They equitably promote the health and well-being of current and future residents. And they respect the finite capacity of the natural environment.”
According to Kristin Battistoni, Haddam’s Tax Collector, a resident came in while staff was talking about the CT Sustainability Initiative that Haddam is involved in, and mentioned that Trex had a program. It was researched, and Haddam signed up. There is no cost to the town, and besides removing plastic bags from our landfills (they are not currently recyclable through single stream recycling), we can earn a free Trex bench for the town. At the Town Hall, they do a weigh-in each week. We need to average about 85 lbs. a month to stay on target.
At the Town Hall, they are looking for more green initiatives. They now have a single-stream recycling container in the lounge, as well as expanding their paper recycling. They will be looking for volunteers once the Sustainable CT Haddam committee is up and running, and more programs are added. They are also going to make a small compost bin at the Town Hall.
“Single stream recycling at the town hall has increased since we started collecting the plastic bags,” said Kristin. “It has brought more of an awareness for recycling and keeping more material out of the landfills. I was surprised at things I never recycled in the past like Dunkin’ Donut cups or certain styrofoams. I started looking at everything I throw in my own garbage at home. If it has a recycle triangle with the number 1-7, it can be recycled in the single stream containers.”
If you drop off plastic and a collection site bin is full, please drop it off at the Town Hall, or at least let someone at the Town Hall know that it needs to be picked up. Once you start collecting the bags as I have, you’ll be surprised at how quickly they add up!
