I’ve been following the discussions about Greenfield’s EPA recycling grant. I am most thrilled to learn that the EPA has agreed in writing that we won’t lose the grant money if we decide to keep going to the publicly owned, and locally overseen, dual-stream facility in Springfield, instead of to a single stream facility twice as far away for nearly twice the cost.

Our city, and especially the Department of Public Works, has always led the way in being at the forefront of ecologically sound practices, and I am sure that they can craft our way of approaching the implementation so that we can keep our dual recycling system, and perhaps even save some money.

I assume that the DPW is currently working on an analysis of collection costs and options for each program, and not just looking at single stream. I have had conversations with so many of my neighbors about this, and we all look forward to their written report and presentation at a future City Council meeting, or another public meeting where the public can ask questions and perhaps brainstorm.

Our current dual stream Material Recycling Facility in Springfield only takes in 5% or 6% contaminants, so all the rest gets recycled, while the single stream place in Berlin, Connecticut recycles 98% of the correct materials it gets, but that’s after paying to trash the first 20% of contaminants that come in the door. Recycling 78% of the materials we send for single stream, versus 94% for dual stream, doesn’t sound to us like better recycling.

Perhaps since the containers are larger, they can pick up paper once a month, and plastic/metal/glass containers once a month. Whatever the solution, I am sure the DPW can make it work for the same or less cost.

Kim Wolcott

Greenfield