Ledyard Tipping Fees Decrease As Recycling Bins Grow Bigger

Mayoral Assistant Mark Bancroft can be seen driving around town picking up junk or stopping in on residences that have piles of junk outside but he’s not just hoping people will clean up. When Bancroft stops in to talk trash, he is hoping to save the town some money and generate revenue.

“If I can teach people to extract that recyclable material from the household waste, I have a $100 swing,” he said of the current tipping fees. “The biggest goal is to increase the town’s knowledge of recycling.”

Bancroft said that under the current contract, Ledyard residents pay $65 per ton of household waste that is hauled away and that the Town of Ledyard receives $35 dollars per ton of recyclable material that is collected.

and Bancroft said the most recent report indicates that Ledyard recycles 24 percent of its trash.

“I’d like to see a number around 35 percent or 40 percent, that would be phenomenal,” he said. “The higher the number, the less we spend on tipping fees and the more money we make from the recyclables.”

In July 2009, Ledyard residents threw away 501 tons of household trash but in July 2011 that decreased to 425.79 tons. In January, Ledyard threw away 391.75 tons, which amounts to a 109.25-ton reduction and a savings of $7,101.

“This is an item they can control,” he said of Ledyard residents. “They have direct control over it, they can make an impact.”

Bancroft said taxpayers paid $425,704 in tipping fees in 2009-10 and $421,740 in 2010-11.

Increased awareness and single-stream recycling have been helpful in increasing recycling in Ledyard, according to Bancroft.

Ledyard households recycled 104.91 tons before single-stream recycling was in place. That number has increased steadily and in January, Ledyard recycled 128.15, tons and was paid $4,485.25 for the debris.

The numbers have made him optimistic. Bancroft ordered 400 24-gallon blue bins for residents to pick up for free. Residents can exchange their 18-gallon bin for the larger one or add to their collection. Decals will soon available for people who have made their own recycle bin.

“It’s all about weight,” he said of the town’s potential to save on tipping fees.

Bancroft said another way to reduce household waste is to compost. He said his own household composts approximately 5 pounds of organic material a week.

“It’s basically carrot skins, potato skins, banana peels, stuff like that,” he said. “But that’s wet weight.”

“It is not that hard to recycle and compost and it’s getting easier and easier,” he said.

Bancroft is coordinating an informational session with recycling and trash disposal. He said there will be free bins, carts, and decals available for people to pick up and people will be available to answer questions.

“It’s just to make people more aware of what’s available to them and how the process works.”

Bulky Waste

Curbside pick-up occurs once a week but many residents don’t know that they’re entitled to two free bulk pick-ups a year, said Bancroft.

“This is the thing that’s amazing,” he said. “Just make one phone call and they’ll take it away for nothing.”

If trash keeps piling up outside a residence, Bancroft he would have to possibly involve Ledge Light Health District because public health may be at stake.

 “People want to be good neighbors but sometimes they just don’t know what to do.”

Ledyard residents can call 800-391-3592 for bulky waste pick-up, which includes household furniture, scrap wood, appliances, and miscellaneous metals.