LONGMEADOW — Recycling in Longmeadow will look different this July. The town recently signed a five-year contract with Waste Management, a national waste hauling company. The contract is set to save the town more than $2 million over that period. As part of the contract, the town is issuing carts required for the disposal of recyclable materials.
Waste Management offers automated recycling collection. Rather than a worker emptying the bins into the truck at each stop, the automated equipment lifts the bins to unload them. For that reason, residents must use carts that are specifically designed for use with the truck.
“This should provide residents with improved efficiency and convenience for residents,” said Lisa Okscin, Longmeadow’s DPW business manager.
Okscin explained, “The town’s dual stream recycling will remain, with alternative collection for cardboard [and] paper and bottle [and] cans. By having dual stream recycling, the town pays less to recycle the material as there is a larger profit share over towns who have a single stream program.”
The town requested resident feedback to determine the size of recyclable carts to be used, with options of 35-, 48-, 64- and 95-gallon carts. Okscin said that of the 1,300 responses to a survey included in the winter water bill, the majority of the of people preferred “larger” carts. The town is considering options to allow residents to swap to a different size cart or request an additional cart.
Trash bins will continue to be restricted to one 35-gallon town-approved cart weighing 40 pounds or less, with Pay-As-You-Throw bags available for purchase if more trash removal is required.
“The implementation of fully automated curbside trash and recycling services marks a major step forward for Longmeadow,” Town Manager Lyn Simmons said in her monthly newsletter. “This new contract not only streamlines the process for residents but also aligns with our commitment to sustainability and waste reduction.”
Funding for the purchase of two recycling carts — one for paper and cardboard, and another for bottles and cans — for each household, was approved by voters at the fall 2024 Town Meeting, at a cost of $630,000.
Longmeadow’s recyclable material is processed at the Springfield Materials Recycling Facility. While the recyclable collection is automated, Okscin pointed out that the trucks are fitted with cameras to view the materials being dumped and allow for violations to be addressed.
The contract went to Waste Management after a bidding process in which vendors “were encouraged to bid on our current program, as well as any other program they felt would be advantageous to the town,” said Okscin. A review committee determined that the automated collection would be the most cost-effective for the town.
Distribution of the bins is expected in May or June, in time for the July 1 start to the new contract. Residents will be able to recycle their current recycling bins, as they will not be compatible with the automated program.
Okscin said, “Overall, we are really excited for the new program. We will be one of the first automated dual stream recycling programs in the state and hope to be a model program for other towns to follow.”
