Holyoke City Council passes EPR resolution to boost recycling, cut costs

from The Sun, February 5- 11, 2010


HOLYOKE – Last night the Holyoke City Council passed a resolution supporting statewide Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR is a new approach to reduce, reuse and recycle that shifts the financial cost of managing discarded products and packaging from the cities and towns to the brand owners who design and market the products.

“Holyoke taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay to dispose of toxic or hard-to-recycle products,” said Councilor Rebecca Lisi, who introduced the resolution. “The companies that put these products into the marketplace should be responsible for these costs.”

Recently MassDEP announced that EPR will be a key strategy in the coming decade to reduce the volume of products and packaging discarded in the commonwealth. By requiring producers to pay for the cost of recycling or disposal of their products, EPR provides brand owners a financial incentive to redesign their products to be less wasteful.

On Jan. 28, Lynne Pledger, from Clean Water Action, told the Public Safety Committee that EPR programs in other states have generated new businesses and jobs.

“Twenty states already have EPR programs for electronic waste. Maine has EPR programs that cover six product categories,” she said. “Cities in other states are already benefiting from costs saving and job generation; it’s time for Massachusetts to get on board.”

Holyoke had passed a resolution in 2002 calling for producers of electronics to pay for the costs of safely managing discarded computers and TVs. An e-waste bill was filed this year in the State Legislature and is expected to come to a vote in this legislative session.

“This new resolution calls for passage of the e-waste bill and for EPR Framework legislation to cover more product categories,” Pledger explained.

Holyoke is the first municipality in Massachusetts to pass a resolution calling for a statewide EPR program for multiple products. The council vote was eight to five.

“This initiative is in keeping with Holyoke’s plans to be known as a forward-looking, ‘green’ community,” Lisi said.

The Clean Water Action EPR presentation to the Public Safety Committee was attended by a group of Holyoke residents from Project GreenHolyoke.

Inforrmation about Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Hello,

I am posting a transcript of my comments regarding the EPR resolution that the City Council considered this evening as well as the resolution itself and other informational materials.

Please contact me if you have questions or comments!

Best,
Rebecca

I would first like to thank Lynne Pledger of Clean Water Action for coming before the Public Safety Committee on two separate occasions to educate the council and members of the public on Extended Producer Responsibility and its principles.

EPR is simply a way to make manufacturers responsible for the recycling and management of their products and in effect, lift the burden of high costs associated with management and disposal off of the municipality and its taxpayers.

By shifting the responsibility for management and disposal onto the manufacturers, we incentivize product innovations that extend the life of the product or make a product easier to recycle or refurbish.

For example: electronic waste is difficult and costly for municipalities to manage- they are filled with toxic components and computers, televisions, printers and so on, typically end up in our curbside trash pick up.

We pay a lot of money per ton for curbside trash and once those products end up in a landfill they pollute our environment.

On the other hand, we make money on the amount that we are able to recycle.

So, by establishing a program that helps producers increase the both number of collection sites and types of products that we can recycle, we can dramatically decrease the amount of trash tonnage that costs the city money to dispose of while increasing the amount of tonnage going toward recycling efforts.

Not only do we save money on trash disposal, but we actually make more money for increased recycling.

The legislation that tonight's resolution supports will help reduce the amount of dumping happening on our city streets and alleyways.

It will also help create jobs by expanding existing recycling centers and creating a demand for new collections sites and recycling centers.

The Patrick Administration and the State DEP are fully supportive of comprehensive EPR legislation and since they have targeted Holyoke as the site of the near-coming Green High-Powered Computing Center, I believe that with this resolution we can continue to signal to the state that Holyoke is ready to think green, act green and ensure future green investments in the newly emerging green industrial economy.

I am fully in support of this resolution and I hope that my colleagues will join me in building Holyoke's reputation as a leader in the green economy.

Thank you.


/EPR%20overview%20pdf

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Newly formed energy committee looks towards a ‘green’ future

from The Sun, September18- September 24, 2009
by Dennis P. Hohenberger

HOLYOKE – On Tuesday Mayor Michael J. Sullivan introduced the newlyformed City of Holyoke Energy Committee that looks to make the city more energy efficient and be designated a “Green Community” by the state.

In July 2008, Gov. Deval Patrick signed the Green Communities Act, as cities and towns vie for the coveted “Green Community” designation that will allow communities, such as Holyoke, to tap into $10 million annually of available grants and assistance through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

Though better positioned than most communities in the Commonwealth, Holyoke must still meet five criteria set forth by the DOER to tap into those funds.

The criteria includes: Development of renewable energy or alternative energy facilities or research and development facilities, adopt an expedited application and permitting process for energy facilities, energy audits of municipal buildings, purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles for municipal use, and set new energy guidelines on residential and commercial construction or stretch codes.

Sullivan, along with Jim Barry, Western Mass. Region Coordinator of the Green Communities Division of the DOER, met with committee members at Holyoke City Hall Tuesday afternoon. Sullivan told those in attendance that the goal of the committee is to incorporate “good, sound policies” when it comes to energy consumption and conservation.

Sullivan produced a binder of energy reports and audits that the city conducted the past few years on municipal building and facilities. He said the city has benefited from the information as it strives for energy efficiency.

“We're really proud, in fact, Jim (Barry) said today we're one of the communities that's farthest along that he's seen in this planning process and we're happy to hear that,” said Sullivan. “A lot of that has to do with the expertise that we have at the Holyoke Gas & Electric.”

At this stage in the process, Holyoke meets or in the process of meeting the DOER's criteria, as the city adopted Chapter 43B in 2007, which allows for expedited permitting within a “priority development site.” Recently Holyoke received an energy block grant from the DOER that will be used to complete energy audits on all municipal buildings, street and stop lights.

Sullivan said Holyoke will hear this week whether the city has been awarded a Green Communities Technical Assistance Grant from the DOER. The grant will assist the city with completing those goals set by the Commonwealth.

He said the biggest challenge is getting funding for capital improvements. “It’s taking capital equipment, particularly in buildings, retrofitting them to be more energy efficient,” said Sullivan.

Kathleen Anderson, of the Office of Planning & Development, said that over the past few months the city has been collecting data and other information to support the Holyoke's drive to become a Green Community.

Besides mayoral approval, she said the city council must also adopt the five criteria before Holyoke can move forward, similar to the adoption of Chapter 43D. “Once that happens, it then goes to the state and we become a Green Community,” said Anderson.

City Councilors Rebecca Lisi and Elaine Pluta, who were present at the meeting, said they filed an order at the last city council meeting to have Barry and Mark Silvia of the DOER to give a presentation about the Green Communities Act.

“When we are asked to make a decision on the different criteria coming through the council, we can be prepared and be better informed before we make a decision,” said Lisi. She added that with the progress so far, the mayor and city council can meet the DOER's criteria.

“I also think there is an amazing amount of synergy between the different government offices, the council, and the public in working to market Holyoke as a green, friendly, industrial area,” she said.

As the meeting concluded, Sullivan introduced the ad hoc committee comprised of: William Fuqua, Superintendent of Public Works; James Lavelle, Director of Holyoke Gas & Electric; Kathleen Anderson, Office of Planning & Development; Fire Chief David LaFond; Melinda Lane, Police Department; and Whitney Anderson, Maintenance Administration Holyoke School Department.

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING CONSIDERS EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY CAMPAIGN

from The Sun, June 12- 18


HOLYOKE- Wednesday, June 10th the Public Safety Committee met at City Hall to hear information regarding Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) an environmental policy approach in which producers assume responsibility for their products by financing the collection and responsible reuse, recycling or disposal of those products. Currently, taxpayers pay for the management of waste that is discarded.

"The taxpayers of Holyoke bear an unfair burden of costs associated with managing large and toxic trash items that cannot be broken down or recycled. We get hit twice; once for having to pay for handling such products and then again, when we cannot pull in revenues associated with recyclable products," said Lisi.

Councilor Lisi, along with Councilors Kevin Jordain, Diosdado Lopez, and Elaine Pluta filed the order at the April 21st City Council meeting for Lynne Pledger of Clean Water Action, an environmental advocacy group, to speak about EPR and bring how it could benefit the city. Ms. Pledger urged Holyoke to adopt a resolution supporting statewide EPR legislation and regulation. In the meeting, she explained that Massachusetts cities and towns collectively spend millions of dollars managing discarded items, many of which are toxic and/or designed for one-time use.

“Town government started paying for trash clean up more than a hundred years ago when waste was mostly coal ash. Now that trash is mostly products and packaging, we need a new system,” said Pledger.

Many Holyoke residents and members of Project GreenHolyoke, a subgroup of C.R.U.S.H. (Citizens for the Revitalization and Urban Success of Holyoke) attended the meeting in support of the EPR campaign and to speak in favor of the city’s efforts to adopt the resolution.

Carlos Vega of 51 Portland St. said, "By expanding recycling opportunities in the city, we would be able to cut costs associated with items such as computers and refrigerators that are extremely costly for the city to handle due to their large sizes and toxic parts".

The full Council will be voting on the EPR Resolution at their next meeting on June 16, 2009. For more information on the MA EPR campaign visit: http://holyoke.ning.com/group/greenholyoke/forum/topics/extended-producer

For an overview of the MA EPR campaign click on the link below:
/EPR%20overview%20w.%20LP%20contact%20outside%20pdf.pdf