All About Brooklime

Brookline Environmentalists Hope to Further Town’s Recycling

By: Mary Vitale

BROOKLINE – Jeremy Windsor pulls two empty soda bottles out of his knapsack and tosses them into a large, black recycling bin next to the Walgreens in Coolidge Corner. A sixth grader at Edward Devotion Elementary School, Windsor said he has learned the importance of recycling his plastic bottles and extra papers from his parents and the environmental awareness campaigns of the town and schools.

“I like using the recycling bins, because they help keep the town clean,” Windsor said. “[Recycling] is good because it reuses plastic and paper so we don’t need to keep using more and more of it.”

Brookline recycles more than 40 percent of its materials and has reduced its trash by 400 tons this year through recycling, according to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee. The committee recently launched the “If It Rips, Recycle It” campaign to help residents understand what they can recycle and how. The committee also has recently initiated several programs such as adding recycling bins in Coolidge Corner and Washington Square, mailing environmental literature to residents, and awarding prizes to students who fulfill their pledged recycling quota. Ed Gilbert, Solid Waste Advisory Committee manager, said Brookline’s high recycling rate is a result of the new programs.

“These are great ways to raise awareness and to educate residents,” Gilbert said. “Most people in Brookline want to help but aren’t sure how. If we keep putting information out there, more people will be aware.”

In honor of Earth Day this week, the Soule Early Childhood Center hosted a fundraiser encouraging residents to purchase eco-friendly items such as recycled paper from Let’s Go Green, an environmentally safe product store. For every purchase, the center receives money to pay for classroom supplies and parent educational forums. Rachel McQuillan, parent and organizer of the event, said the fundraiser benefits the Soule Center and encourages the purchasing of recycled goods.

“I feel we are each responsible for going the extra distance to change our lifestyles and to make those choices [to protect the environment],” McQuillan said. “As parents of young children at Soule, I think this type of fundraiser helps advocate this behavior and is good role modeling. Extending ourselves out of our comfort zones is the only way that we can each do our small part to make a difference.”

Adam Mitchell, chairman of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, said he hopes the town’s recycling rate increases to 60 percent within the next year.

“Brookline has a pretty good recycling rate, but there is always room for improvement,” Mitchell said.

The committee is looking at possibly instituting a “pay as you throw” program for residents. Residents now pay a flat rate for garbage removal; the new program would allow their garbage fee to be determined based on the amount of trash they produce to encourage recycling.

“In some communities that have the ‘pay as you throw program,’ trash volumes have gone down and their recycling has gone up, so I see it as a viable option,” Mitchell said. “It’s also a good way to make trash fees equitable.”

Nancy Daly, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, said the new program could benefit the town, but some citizens oppose it for economic reasons. The program could substantially raise trash fees for large families who produce a hefty amount of garbage each week. Many Orthodox Jewish families in Brookline with several children have already voiced opposition.

“We will discuss and continue to look into it,” Daly said. “However, we must make some adjustments to make sure it is fair to all residents. Many Orthodox Jewish families have five or six children and not a lot of money, so we need to ensure they would not be penalized for producing more garbage than the average home.”

Mitchell and Daly said the town plans to form a recycling committee within the next few months to discuss the benefits and costs of such a program.
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