Let's Talk Trash, edited by Laura Dickerson
This biweekly column tries to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about recycling, composting and the town's solid waste program.
Q: I remember reading in the Globe about a town in China where many people have been harmed by the toxins in CRTs that were shipped from the U.S. to China for recycling. Are the computer terminals and TVs from Lexington being responsibly de-commissioned?
A: The electronics the DPW collects on CRT days are handied by Electronicycle in Gardner. From their Web site: (
www.electronicycle.com): "Regulated CRT (leaded) glass is sent back to CRT glass manufacturers. 100 percent of waste CRT devices received are processed here in the USA." Electronicycle deals with many type of electronic devices. The products are repaired and resold when possible, otherwise they are broken down into parts to be re-used, or materials to be recycled. On Oct. 26, more than two hundred carloads of electronic devices (computers and TVs, mostly) were dropped off at the DPW.Q: You asked for explanations for the increase in trash weight since the end of PAYT. My impression is that during PAYT many people put all their .food waste down the sink disposal unit rather than into the trash, and have gone back to just throwing it away. That's probably a lot of weight if you multiply it by many households. Which method (presuming that composting isn't feasible) is the best for the environment?
A: That might be part of it, although probably not most. Many people in Lexington compost and not everyone has a disposal unit. National surveys of household solid waste put the amount of food waste at about 7 percent. A study done in Alameda County, Calif., showed that the average household generated 225 pounds of food waste a year. The disposal vs. incinerator question is a tricky one. The Massachusetts Water Resource Agency says that they can cope with garbage disposal wastes. Still, any waste put into the garbage disposal puts an unnecessary load on the sewage treatment facilities, and you use extra water while you are
running the device.Putting food waste in the trash is also not ideal. The incinerator works best at a high constant temperature, and liquids (which is what rotting food generates) keep it from maximum efficiency, which in turn means that more particulates come out of the smoke stack.
Overall, disposing of waste into water is probably the environmentally worse choice. Clean Water Action says that putting meat down the sink is especially bad, as this encourages more bacterial growth before the water is processed. By far the best alternative is composting. Composting your kitchen scraps isn't hard, although the usual recommendation for home composting is that you not put meat into it. The town sells inexpensive computers with a very helpful pamphlet to get you started. Call the DPW 781-862-0500, ext. 256 for more information.
Q. My daughter, who attends LHS, brought home a long list of safety rules for use in science labs. Among other topics, one was what to do when a mercury thermometer breaks. Shouldn't mercury thermometers have been removed from the schools?
A: Most of them have been replaced by alcohol or hexane thermometers, and the process of replacing them is continuing. If you are also worried about mercury at home, remember that mercury-containing products such as thermometers, thermostats, fluorescent lights and so forth can be dropped off at the household hazardous waste collection on Nov. 16, or you can turn in your thermometers at the Health Department office or the DPW barn.
Got a question or a suggestion? You can reach us by calling the League of 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.