Every resident of Londonderry knows how beautiful the town is, and the members of the Solid Waste and Environment Committee work hard to keep it that way. At their monthly meetings, the committee brainstorms different ways to maintain the town’s natural allure and how to preserve it for future generations.
Recently, the committee had discussed examples of what the members call, “unconscious recycling.” It’s ways that people already reuse materials in their home without realizing it. Using old clothes for oil rags or for buffing your car in the summer is considered unconscious recycling. Reusing old plastic shopping bags as small trash bags in your bathroom or when you walk dog and donating clothes to the local consignment shops or thrift stores are all types of unconscious recycling. It cuts down on unnecessary waste and extends the usefulness of items in your home. That’s what the SWEC seeks to do.
According to the committee’s page on the Londonderry website, dealing with waste is the fourth largest line item in the town budget. Being more environmentally conscious not only keeps the town looking nice, but it helps tax payers from spending more on the budget.
At their October meeting, the SWEC talked about different projects it can work on to educate residents on how they can better manage their waste at home and help cut costs. Joy Muller is already looking towards next year’s Beautify Londonderry event and plans to reach out to the local PTA groups for volunteers. Chairman Paul Margolin suggested that some of the rotaries and cul-de-sacs in town could be places for gardeners to volunteer during the week-long event. Muller said people could also do improvements in front of the Town Hall and the Police Department building. There was some discussion on whether people who donate their time to maintaining neighborhood sites should get their names on a plaque so they get credit for their hard work.
Margolin said he would reach out to the Conversation Committee about collaborating on columns for the local newspapers as a way to keep the community informed of any updates the groups feel are important for residents to know about. Rick Darveau said he would look at the SWEC and Department of Public Works websites and figure out how to better organize the information there so it’s easier for residents to find.
Another type of waste management that people may not think about it is the proper disposal of needles. Lynn Wiles had been working on promoting the sharps collection kiosk at Town Hall by talking with local pharmacies to see if they would tell their customers about it. The program is still a work in progress, if anyone has used needles they are looking to dispose of in a safe and clean manner, they can bring them to Town Hall.
The committee is also planning on an HHW Day (municipal waste collection) at the Londonderry Athletic Fields Association fields from 9 a.m. to noon on Nov. 18. There will be an oil collection day at the same time. More details will be printed when made available.