Cash-strapped Haverhill could get a financial reprieve if its citizens follow one simple rule. Recycle more.
On July 6, a fundamental change arrived in Haverhill, as a completely new recycling format hit curbsides across the area, making it much easier to recycle.
"We're going from just paper to all recyclables," said Alice Mann, chairwoman of Team Haverhill at the organization's celebration at Lounge 59 on Wednesday night, July 15. "It's a citywide change."
The change is the shift from paper only — which required the separation of paper and cardboard from all other waste — to single-stream, which allows all recyclable materials to be placed in one bin.
But this is only the beginning, said Remi Depommier, co-chairman of the Team Haverhill Recycling Project Committee.
The results of any social change — however positive — take time to come to fruition.
While the celebration of the start of citywide single-stream recycling was a long time coming, proponents say their job is far from over.
"We know daily habits take time to change," Depommier said. "We'll need to make a continued effort to promote this."
City Councilor Colin LePage, Depommier's co-chairman, agreed.
"We'll be doing presentations, going to schools," he said. "You just have to keep telling people over and over and over about (recycling)."
The effort looks like it could pay off in a huge way.
"The city could save $400,000 annually," Depommier said.
Haverhill's recycle rate, which compares the amount of recycling by weight to the amount of trash, was 10 percent, a far cry from the state average of 37 percent. This means that for every one pound of recycling processed, 10 pounds of trash was disposed.
"Haverhill has been lagging behind," Depommier said. "But now we're (with single-stream) at the technological forefront."
The city of Haverhill has spent almost $1.4 million annually on trash disposal, as the price to process trash is $55.30 per ton. Haverhill, on average, disposes about 25,000 tons per year.
Recycling, on the other hand, is substantially cheaper, but the city has, on average, only recycled 2,500 tons per year, leaving a large gap between what is spent and what could be saved.
Depommier and LePage began the fight to bring citywide, single-stream recycling in the summer of 2008, but were met with the broad assumption that the recycling change would cost far more than it would bring in.
But the more Depommier and LePage calculated, the greener recycling looked.
Integrated Paper Recyclers, a material recovery facility in North Andover, is now paying Haverhill $22.50 for every ton of recycling, creating a $78 shift — from $55.30 paid to $22.50 earned — between disposing one ton of trash and selling one ton of recycling to IPR.
"We're giving them the corn, and they're selling it," LePage said. "They're thinking '"The value of what we're going to sell it for is higher than what we'll pay you for it.'"
Additionally, according to LePage, more than half of what is now being disposed could be recycled, whether it's glass, plastic or paper.
If that 50 percent of what could be recycled was being recycled, putting Haverhill at a 50 percent recycling rate, the city would save $691,250 — 12,500 tons of trash at a rate of $55.30 per ton.
Additionally, at the 50 percent recycling rate, IPR would pay Haverhill $281,250 for the 12,500 tons of the now-recycled material at a rate of $22.50 per ton.
Total savings for the city: $972,500.
"That's the ultimate goal," LePage said.
But even LePage doesn't think a 50 percent rate is very likely at this point.
"Even 20 percent, let's go for that. If the state average is 37 percent, let's be better than half of the cities and towns in the Commonwealth," LePage said.
At 20 percent, a recycling rate Depommier said Haverhill could reach within six months, the city would dispose 5,000 fewer tons of trash, which would save Haverhill $276,500 in trash processing costs. Plus, IPR would pay the city $22.50 per ton for the 5,000 tons of recyclable materials, equaling $112,500.
Total savings at a more reasonable 20 percent: $389,000
Still a great savings, LePage says.
"Let's add a few more teachers, or get more books," LePage said. "We can spend that money elsewhere."
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