This biweekly column tries to answer some of the most com-monly asked questions about recycling, composting and the town's solid waste program

Let's Talk Trash, edited by Laura Dickerson

September 26, 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.

The bar graph shows the comparison of the average amounts of trash and recycling collected in the 4 Augusts prior to PAYT, August 2001 (during PAYT), and last month. Remember that these totals don't include special pickups such as hazardous waste or white goods or yard waste.

Q: What do I do with a fluorescent bulb that is burnt out?
A: These bulbs and tubes contain mercury, and are therefore hazardous waste. They need to be dropped off at the Hazardous Waste collection on Hartwell Avenue. The next time is Oct. 19. It can be frustrating and a waste of gas to go out there with just one item. Maybe you could remind all your friends and neighbors to save up their bulbs as well, and drop off a bunch of them at once.

Q: I always see good office paper in the trash cans next to the copy machines at Cary Library. Aren't town buildings recycling?
A: The town buildings (office building, libraries, police station, schools) do participate in paper recycling. The custodians take the smaller bins and empty them into larger wheeled containers. These are then collected by a special truck, because the curbside recycling trucks can't handle the larger containers. Improvements are always possible, though, and work is going on especially with the schools to recycle a higher percentage of the paper.

Q: I see lots of good stuff put out with the trash, and have taken home some valuable things. Maybe people are too lazy to take it to the Goodwill truck. Some towns like Wellesley or Newton have a system for residents to drop off usable items and take others home that seems to work very well. We don't have a place for that, but maybe the Lexington could organize something.
A: To organize a swap systern of this sort requires a permanent building plus someone to staff it. The DPW and Health Department have been working to set up an exchange on Hazardous Waste days of products like paint, fertilizer, car engine additives, and so forth. In the beginning, at least, this would only be for unopened containers (like full cans of paint) but people do sometimes drop those off because they can't be put into the trash. Someone who needed that item could come to the HHW collection and take it home.

Town Meeting years ago expressed disapproval of people "trash picking," (going around on trash day pulling stuff out) but as long as you don't open bags or scatter the trash, it probably isn't a problem. Sometimes people put items out near the street with a sign indicating that they are available free, and that's another option as long as you don't open bags or scatter the trash, it probably isn't a problem.

Sometimes people put items out near the street with a sign indicating that they are available free, and that's another option as long as there aren't many and the free items aren't a health hazard. It is unfortunate that people put out so much usable merchandise out to be incinerated. The Goodwill truck behind Walgreen's is open daily and there are many charities that will pick up furniture, clothing, and other goods from your home. Which items are accepted depends upon the charity and the quality of the item. People should call the Salvation Army at (781) 231-0803, Viet Nam Veterans of America at (800) 775-8387, Boys' and Girls' Clubs at (800) 483-5503, the Epilepsy Foundation at (617) 436-6283, Mass Coalition for the homeless at (617) 423-9162 x 101, or other organizations to schedule a pick up.

Reminder: Lexington residents should have received a mailing from the town recently with a calendar for recycling, solid waste pickup, yard waste collections, and similar information. If you didn't get one, more are available at the Town Hall.

Curbside yard waste pickup begins the week of October 7th.

Got a question or a suggestion? You can reach us by calling the League of Women Voters line at (781) 861-0123 or by email 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.