Starting July 1, the Department of Public Works will switch over to single-stream recycling for New Canaanites who drop off their recyclables at the Transfer Station at Lakeview Avenue.
Many other towns in the Fairfield County area such Darien, Norwalk and Stamford have already switched to single-stream to make it easier on residents. New Canaan is now trying to do the same, officials say.
Right now, residents sign on with private haulers to collect trash and (many) bring their own recyclables to the Transfer Station to sort them. In single-stream recycling, a contracted company could send a collection truck to pick up from a designated, distributed bin commingled paper, plastic, glass and other recyclable materials.
Lakeview Avenue Transfer Station on June 8, 2014. Credit: Michael Dinan
When NewCanaanite.com spoke with Assistant Superintendent of Solid Waste and Recycling Coordinator Don Smith, he thought that this change in the recycling process will only make people’s lives easier. “I don’t think [the process] is going to change that much,” Don said. “It’s just consistency. It’s basically easier for everybody instead of having two or three different containers in their house, they’ll just need one.”
Don thinks the transition “will be a learning curve” for those New Canaanites who bring their waste and recyclables to the Transfer Station. Residents who do not use the transfer station, and use garbage collectors instead, will not be affected by the change because the town does not have a place where they can dump the waste at the moment.
Although New Canaanites that dispose their waste through garbage collectors will not be affected the transfer station’s change, there are other facilities that are also changing to single-stream. “I think there is now at least one hauler in town that’s new to town,” Don said. “They are switching their customers over to single-stream.”
Even though the town is only offering single-stream to those who drop their recyclables starting July 1, Don believes that eventually there will be this change to all of the town’s disposing of waste.
Thank you Don Smith and our Public Works Department for taking the initiative on single stream recycling. This is a big step forward. We can all take this opportunity to learn what this means and increase the amount of recycling in our own households.
Well, it’s about time! This is great news!