Let's Talk Trash, edited by Laura Dickerson
August 15, 2002, Column from the Lexington Minuteman
This biweekly column tries to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about recycling, composting and the town's solid waste program.
Q: Could you report the amounts of trash and recycling collected every month and compare it to previous years? I'd like to know if people are still doing a good job of recycling without PAYT.
A: This will become a monthly feature, beginning with the Aug. 29 column.
Q: I own a small business which produces a lot of paper waste. 1 don't know where to recycle it cheaply enough. Do you know of any recycling haulers who will pick up in Lexington?
A: Try Walnut Industries in Somerville at 617-6293590 or Empire Recycling Services in Billerica, 978670-7140. Or you can drop off as much paper and cardboard as you want for free at Atlantic Packaging, 20 Atlantic Avenue, Woburn. 781-938-9990. Open 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Route 128 to Route 93 North, Exit 37C, go across intersection. Sort as follows: (1) Cardboard, (2) white and colored paper, (3) newsprint/magazines. No books or old folders.
Q: Is there a way to recycle a portable phone or other non-rotary phone?
A: If it still works, donate it to Goodwill or another charity. If not, hold onto it until the next CRT collection day. Unfortunately, you just missed one, so it will be several months until the next time. These collections are primarily for TVs and computer monitors, which contain lead, but the company that takes them away also recycles other
electronic equipment, so the town has been accepting electronics in addition to the CRTs on these collection days.
Q: How can I find your old columns online?
A: Go to
http://www.lexingtonma.org/swat/HomePage.htm and click on the Trash and Recycling link. This will take you to several choices, including one that archives the old columns, and one that provides a search engine for going through them by topic.Q: I have an old propane tank. How do I dispose of it? A: If it's less than 22 pounds, you can take it to the Household Hazardous Waste collection on Hartwell Avenue. The next date is Aug. 17. If it is one of the very small canisters used for camping stoves or lanterns, it can be put into the trash (it must be empty). The large tanks now have a new type of safety valve, but some of the stores that sold the old kind will still take them in exchange, or charge a small fee to do so. If you have access to the Internet, see the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection site which lists some places that accept the tanks:
http://www.state.ma.us/dep/ recycle/hazards/propane.htm.Got a question or a suggestion? You can reach us by calling the League o f Women Voters line at 781-861-0123 or by e-mail at
lexrecycles@hotmail.com. For more information, check out the SWAT Web page at http://www.lexingtonma.org/.swat/HomePage.htm, the town's Web site http://ci.lexington.ma.us (click on the Solid Waste quicklink) or call: 781-274-7298.