The next recycling project for Brockton is up and running, and working according to its chief organizer.
“It will take a little while to get going at full stream, but people are very pleased with it,” said Bruce Davidson of recycling clamshell plastics – the newest green pilot. In just two weeks, Davidson said hundreds of clamshell containers – which usually contained items as fresh fruit, sandwiches and desserts – have been brought to the recycling truck at the MTO yards on Wallace Street.
Community Living clients take in the recycling every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon and drop offs are allowed in the designated home made bin under the truck during the week.
Davidson said it was only right to start collecting clamshell plastics as they are currently part of Hanover’s recycling program.
While he’s happy to see people dropping off styrofoam and clamshell plastics during the week, he stressed that it’s important that they be put in bags to prevent getting wet or blowing away. “Styrofoam isn’t the heaviest of materials,” he said. Also clamshell plastics should be washed out and paper labels removed.
Brockton Coun. Charlie Reidl, who sits on the Walkerton-Hanover Landfill committee, is happy to see the pilot started. “It’s been great,” he said. “Clamshell plastic is like styrofoam, it doesn’t break down, it doesn’t deteriorate.”
Reidl is pleased with the overall recycling being done in Brockton. “We’re up to 17 transport trucks of styrofoam being diverted from the landfill,” he said. “Can you imagine the volume of 17 truckloads – that’s quite a lot.”
Davidson agreed. “Basically we’re shipping a tractor every three weeks now,” he said, expecting to see similar results with clamshell plastics. He’s also working on collecting film plastics, which could be started in October. There are 18 different types of plastics that fall under the ‘film’ category, Davidson said and noted explanations and photos will be posted on the municipality’s Website.
Next up will be battery collection, to start sometime next month. Plans call for collection depots to be placed at all three landfill sites (Walkerton/Hanover, Brant, and Greenock); the municipal office, and the MTO site. Davidson said they will collect batteries from AAA up, but not car batteries.
Reidl said getting these projects up and participating is important. “All these little things add up. It doesn’t cost anything to participate and it saves the landfill. It makes sense to do it,” he said.