Recycling Survey Results are In!

DPW Director John Tomasz presented the results of the new Recycling Committee’s town-wide survey at the November 20, 2019 Board of Selectmen’s meeting. “The objective of the survey was to understand our community priorities around trash and recycling,” Tomasz stated. “By diverting the amount of trash to reuse, recycling and composting, Lynnfield reduces its overall cost for waste disposal.” The survey drew nearly 1,700 responses.

Currently Lynnfield spends $67 per ton for trash disposal, and $25 per ton to dispose of recyclable materials. But, the costs for both are rising significantly. “If I were to bid these out tomorrow, it would probably cost Lynnfield $70 to $90 per ton for these items. Our contract will expire in June 2021 and, unless the market changes, we will see an additional $100,000 to $140,000 in disposal charges.”

The survey captured significant data on residents’ overall recycling habits such as curbside recycling, use of commercial composting services, and participation in the Town’s semi-annual hazardous waste disposal events. It also solicited residents’ opinions on how to improve the Town’s recycling efforts. Based on these survey results, Tomasz anticipates the Recycling Committee will look to develop recommendations for program improvement this winter.

Click here to read the full summary of the Recycling Committee survey results, as reported by Dan Tomasello, Lynnfield Villager, Dec. 4, 2019.