Region rethinking solid waste, recycling

OXFORD COUNTY — The way that Oxford County residents recycle may change, depending on the results of a $22,500 study that will soon be commissioned by local solid waste and recycling officials.

Less than a year after the Norway Paris Solid Waste (NPSW) board and Oxford County Regional Recycling (OCRR) engaged in a heated power struggle, the two entities have come together to study whether a dramatic change would help or hurt the region.

According to Paris Town Manager Phil Tarr, one possible outcome of rethinking solid waste disposal would be to use the Paris transfer station as an area to reload.

"One company has shown an interest in using our facility," said Tarr. "They would pick up solid waste in smaller towns, reload them into large compacting trailer trucks, and then haul them to wherever they've going."

Tarr said that the change might save the area big bucks.

"They could probably double their capacity, which cuts transportation costs in half," said Tarr.

The study, which will be overseen by a committee comprised of NPSW, OCRR, and representatives from smaller towns across the county, will also investigate whether a move to single-stream, or zero-sort, recycling would be beneficial.

Single stream would replace sorting at the consumer end with sorting at a giant, regional facility (see sidebar).

"There's some interest in this area to take a look at zero sort recycling," said Tarr. "We don't know if it would be good for Norway, Paris, or Oxford County, but we don't know whether it would be bad either."

Single stream is only feasible with a large customer base. The question is whether the chance to take in more recyclables will produce enough cost savings to offset any added costs associated with the transition, and with a new contracted relationship with a large recyclable processor.

Tarr says that the ultimate goal is to improve the system.

"What we want to do is increase recycling, so that we can reduce solid waste," said Tarr. "We thing single stream will accomplish that, but we're not sure."

One downside of a move to single stream is that it would eliminate the need for most of the work currently performed by the OCRR, which exists primarily to sort recyclable materials.

Tarr says that the OCRR is very good at what it does.

"The OCRR has done a fine job with sorted recycling," said Tarr. "If we're going to recycle the same amount of recyclables, does it make sense to go to a different system, or stay where we are?"

The study will be paid for by three $7,500 appropriations from NPSW, the OCRR, and the state planning office.

Once the OCRR approves its share of the study, a committee will send out a request for proposals, so that an independent firm can be hired to conduct the study.