GREENFIELD, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — Greenfield residents are just a few months away from the upcoming transition to a single-stream automated recycling system. The Greenfield Automated Recycling Transition team will be present at several events this month, including the Greenfield Earth Day celebration and the final Winter Farmers’ Market at the Greenfield Public Library, to present information on the changes and take questions.
From the City of Greenfield:
Automated Recycling Transition Team Welcomes Community to April Events
GREENFIELD – The City of Greenfield is gearing up to roll out its new automated recycling collection program this summer. In anticipation of this exciting transition, the Greenfield Automated Recycling Transition team will be hosting several community events across April.
The city’s transition from a manual, dual-stream recycling method to automated, single-stream recycling collection is thanks to a $2.05 million grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency awarded in September 2023. The grant is part of the EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program, known as SWIFR.
Here are some upcoming events where the community can learn more about automated recycling:
· Winter Farmers’ Market Tabling (Saturday, April 5, from 10 AM – 1 PM at the Greenfield Public Library) – The automated recycling outreach team will table at the last Greenfield Winter Farmers’ Market of the season. The team will continue to table at occasional farmers’ markets after the outdoor market returns late April.
o Children’s Recycling Craft – During the Winter Farmers’ Market, the automated recycling team will also host a craft project for kids in the Greenfield Public Library Kid’s Room.
· Greenfield Earth Day Celebration (Monday, April 21, from 12 – 3 PM at Energy Park) – Organized by the Interfaith Council of Franklin County, the Earth Day celebration will place an important spotlight on the importance of sustainability. The recycling team will be present to spotlight how automated recycling furthers the city’s sustainability goals.
· Recycling Open House (Tuesday, April 22, from 12 – 3 PM at the Greenfield Public Library Meeting Room) – Interested in checking out the new recycling carts or asking any question about automated recycling? This open house provides the community with a chance to stop-in for any important information they would like to learn more about.
· Automated Recycling Outreach Meeting (Tuesday, April 29, from 1 – 2 PM at the John Zon Community Center) – The Greenfield Automated Recycling Transition Team will host their sixth public meeting to share a presentation on automated recycling and answer community questions. This meeting will be both in-person and remote, and will be recorded for viewing at date.
“We are only a few months away from implementing our new automated recycling program,” said Communications Director Matt Conway. “We hope that these events, along with several past outreach meetings and informational tabling sessions, provide the community with all there is to know about automated recycling.”
Since the first outreach meeting in June 2024, the SWIFR Implementation Team continues to implement the public engagement phase of its three-year grant. SWIFR Outreach Coordinator Sean Kelleher is fostering open communication with residents through tabling events at the Greenfield Winter Farmers Market, Greenfield Public Library, the Greenfield Senior Center and residential housing complexes.
In addition, Sean remains focused on sharing important background information on the city’s transition to automated recycling through flyers, posters, social media posts and the Automated Recycling Transition Webpage. This webpage provides an archive of past meetings and a medley of background information and resources for the community to utilize.
You can view the webpage at: https://greenfield-ma.gov/residents/automated_recycling_transition_/index.php
The webpage can also be found under the “Residents” navigation menu or the quick link on the front page entitled “Automated Recycling Transition.”
The city’s transition to automated recycling will provide a multi-faceted benefit to the community, including:
· New DPW recycling collection vehicles will replace the department’s aging fleet that is often in a state of disrepair.
· The new vehicles substantially reduce carbon emissions and idling, while their larger size will increase the DPW’s current fleet efficiency.
· The Greenfield Transfer Station will receive upgrades to improve processing efficiency.
· Automated vehicles create a safer work environment for recycling collection workers. DPW staff will no longer be exposed to hazardous conditions during collections. Instead, they will collect the recycling while remaining inside their vehicles via an automated control system.
· A new, city-issued recycling cart on wheels will be provided to current curbside residences. The carts can hold up to five times more recyclable materials.
The City of Greenfield received financial support from the EPA under Assistance Agreement SCOOA01503.