Council Considers New Trash Ordinance

By Adam Swift

The Town Council will continue its public hearing on a proposed new trash ordinance at its next meeting on Tuesday, March 7.

The council opened the public hearing at its most recent meeting on Tuesday night. Highlights of the proposed new policy include requiring residents to purchase town-approved trash bags for pick up of any trash that goes above the one allowed trash barrel per household. It is expected the large trash bags will cost $3 each and will be available at a number of locations throughout town.

Winthrop is about half-way into its current five-year trash and recycling contract with Capital Waste Services.

“We’ve been working on this for a little while, and this will allow us to be in compliance with what I believe was promised years ago that we once we get to the trash barrels, where there will be allowed one barrel per household for trash and one barrel for recycling, anything over that will require the purchase of bags,” said Town Manager Tony Marino.

The trash ordinance will also outline fees, when bills are sent out, and enforcement of the ordinance, said Marino.

In 2022, the curbside pickup fee from Capital Waste was just over $938,000. 

Marino said Capital picked up 5,006 tons of waste in the town in 2022, at a total cost of $440,540 to the town to be disposed of.

“That average per ton cost varies a little bit, but it averages $85 to $88 per ton,” said Marino.

The proposed additional trash bags would fit about two standard kitchen-sized bags of trash, and would have to be placed in a container to be picked up by Capital Waste. The hauler will not collect bags that are placed on the side of the road.

Marino and Council President James Letterie said the goal is to implement the new trash program on July 1, with an educational program for residents at the rollout. Letterie said he wanted to keep the public hearing open until the next meeting in case there was more feedback from residents.

In other business Tuesday night, Marino said that as a result of a Standard and Poor’s rate call last week, the town’s bond rating improved to a double A-plus, allowing the town to better rates on municipal bonds.

Marino also noted that the repairs to the town ferry are continuing on schedule, and that there are also discussions about possibly adding a ferry stop during the next season near the Logan Airport hotels.