February 20, 2003, Column from the Lexington Minuteman

The bar graph compares trash and recycling tonnage for January 2002 and 2003. The totals do not include Christmas trees or other yard waste, white goods, or any special collections.

This is good for comparison between tonnage collected during PAYT and that collected afterwards, because both Januarys reflect weekly recycling pickup.

Comparing the two months, trash is up by more than 100 tons, recycling down by 82 tons.

The post-PAYT trash total represents almost a 16% increase over the previous year's total. It seems likely that this is because people aren't being as careful about reducing the amount of trash they put out when they don't have the cost reminder. There could be other factors, but in the current economy people probably aren't buying lots of extra stuff and then throwing it away.

The recycling tonnage in January 2003 was the lowest since the summer. Cold snowy weather in January 2003 (compared to a much warmer January 2002) is probably one factor in the reduced recycling rate. Many people are hesitant to carry a heavy bin over slippery surfaces to get to the curb, or don't want to have the bins buried under snow. The workers on the truck have noticed that fewer bins were put out. It will be interesting to see if recycling jumps when the weather thaws.

Q: What do I do with old cell phones?

A: If they work, they can be donated to charities that give them in turn to residents of battered women's shelters or other needy people. It is possible that there will be a drop-off box for these phones set up in one of the town's buildings, but almost surely it will be possible to donate them on the next CRT/electronics drop-off day, April 26th. If they are broken, please also bring them to the electronics collection, so that their parts can be recycled.

Q: I am about to buy a new computer monitor. Is there an environmental advantage to buying a flat screen instead of a CRT

A: There are a few. While most electronic devices have parts that should be recycled rather than trashed, the LCD (flat) screen does not contain lead, unlike a CRT, and the LCD screen is not legally classified as hazardous. The estimated lifetime is longer, so fewer total eventually will clog up the waste stream. The amount of electricity used by a CRT can be 2-3 times as much as for an LCD. The quality of the picture is a personal judgment, but in terms of the environmental impact, you're better off with a flat screen monitor.

Q: Is it OK for the papers in the bin to get wet? It's been hard to keep them dry in the recent weather.

A: As long as the paper is just wet (not moldy), it's fine. It's not ideal, because it makes it harder to lift the bin (for you and for the truck workers) and the extra weight speeds wear on the trucks, but it doesn't interfere with the recycling process.

The DPW sends the reminder that residents can continue to bring their Christmas trees to 201 Bedford Street and drop them off at the designated area. Residents can also bring their trees to Hartwell Avenue on Mondays and Fridays from 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM. The next scheduled curbside yard waste collection is the week of April 14-18.

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.