Sustainable Westport partnered with the Town of Westport Department of Public Works to develop a Glass Recycling Brochure to inform residents about the benefits of recycling glass separately at the Westport Transfer Station. Since the town launched its separate glass recycling program in February of 2022, over 26 tons of glass has been collected! 

Continue reading to learn more about why the Town of Westport is encouraging residents to recycle their glass separately and for instructions on how to dispose of glass properly at the Transfer Station.

What is the problem?

Recycling in Westport is either collected by a private hauler or directly deposited by residents at the Westport Transfer Station. Once collected, the mixed recycling is transported to a Materials Recovery Facility (or MuRF) and inspected for contamination. The mixed recycling then travels over conveyor belts, screens, optical scanners, forced air, and magnets as people and machines sort through the paper, plastic, glass, and metals to group like materials together. Then, the sorted recyclables are baled and sold as commodities for reuse.

While it is convenient for residents to mix recyclables together in the same bin, it can also present problems as well. Glass containers commonly shatter during the collection process. Once broken, the shards of glass attach themselves to paper, cardboard, and other recyclables, contaminating them and reducing their market value.

Machines and employees at the MuRF cannot remove all the broken glass from the other recyclables, or the bits of paper, bottle caps, metal, and straws that contaminate the glass containers. Once contaminated, there is a substantial cost to clean the glass before it can be recycled. If the contaminated loads cannot be cleaned, they are sent to landfills or the incinerator, and the additional costs passed on to the Town of Westport.

What do you mean by “substantial cost”?

It is important to note that the cost of glass, or any recycled goods, constantly changes based on the market. The price fluctuates from month to month, however here are the contaminated vs non-contaminated costs of recycling glass from earlier this year:

• April 2022: Contaminated cost/tons $65.00 vs non-contaminated cost/ton $40.56
• May 2022: Contaminated cost/tons $65.00 vs non-contaminated cost/ton $37.47

As you can see, there is roughly a $20 difference per ton, which adds up quickly and is passed along to the town (and taxpayers!).

What is the solution?

When glass is separated from mixed recycling, each recycling stream is freed from contamination by the other. The clean, separated glass can now be recycled into new products, and the high-quality mixed recycling commodities become more marketable.

In order to manage increasing costs, and the quality of our recyclables, the Town of Westport has now added a separate glass collection container to the Westport Transfer Station. For instructions on how to recycle your glass, follow the instructions below.

How do I recycle glass?

While residents may still recycle glass with their mixed recycling, it is strongly encouraged that you recycle your glass separately at the Westport Transfer station. To do so, please follow the instructions below:

• Rinse your glass containers and remove lids, caps, and corks.
• Place in a box separate from your mixed recycling bin. 
• Drop-off at the Westport Transfer Station during operating hours. 

It is essential that you recycle ONLY acceptable glass. Unacceptable items will contaminate the entire load and it will either be rejected or cost the Town of Westport contamination fees.  

Acceptable Items:

• Beverage Bottles 
• Juice Jars 
• Condiment Bottles 
• Food Jars

Not Accepted:

• Candle Jars
• Ceramic
• Clay
• Crystal
• Drinking Glasses 
• Lightbulbs
• Mirrors
• Ovenware
• Perfume/Cologne Containers
• Window Glass 

Partnering with the Town of Westport, Sustainable Westport developed mobile “Zero Waste Stations” to help reduce waste at popular community events. 

Our Zero Waste Stations, manned by Sustainable Westport volunteers, helped advise and educate event attendees about their waste choices: COMPOST, RECYCLE, or INCINERATE (Trash). 

This fall, the Zero Waste Station visited Slice of Saugatuck, Westport Rotary’s Lobsterfest, Earthplace’s Woodside Bash and Fall Festival. At Lobsterfest alone, we successfully diverted 2,320 lbs of food waste!

Stop by and “talk trash” with us next time you’re out and about in town! If you are interested in volunteering with Sustainable Westport, click here to complete the volunteer form. 

For guidance on how to start diverting food waste at home, click here.

Sustainable Westport is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the town’s goal of becoming a Net Zero community by 2050. We understand that some people aren’t familiar with the term Net Zero, or even fully understand why our town has committed to becoming Net Zero. 

What Does “Net Zero” Even Mean?

Direct and/or indirect actions by humans (also called anthropogenic actions) have resulted in increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which is warming the planet. To stop the warming, the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere needs to decrease. There are two ways to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere:

1. Cut our output of greenhouse-gas emissions
2. Actively remove emissions from the air (through natural or artificial means)

Put simply, “Net Zero” refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. We reach “Net Zero” when the amount we add is no more than the amount taken away.

What are greenhouse gases and where do they come from?

Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the three most common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. 

• Carbon Dioxide: mainly comes from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil, solid waste, and trees and other biological materials, and is responsible for 79% of overall greenhouse gas emissions. 
• Methane: is produced during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil and also from livestock and other agricultural practices, as well as the decomposition of food and organic waste in landfills. Methane emissions are responsible for 11% of overall greenhouse gas emissions. It is more efficient at trapping heat than CO2 and its impact is therefore 25 times greater than CO2’s over a 100 year period! 
• Nitrous Oxide: is emitted during agricultural, land use and industrial activities as well as the combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste and the treatment of wastewater. Nitrous oxide emissions are responsible for 7% of greenhouse gas emissions.

We can cut our output of greenhouse gas emissions in a number of ways, including small ways like driving less, eating less meat, and diverting our food waste, to big ways like switching over to electric vehicles and clean sources of energy like wind and solar. 

Removing emissions out of the air is more complicated. Forests and oceans do this naturally, but there are also new technologies, many in their infancy, that can capture carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and dispose of it. 

We need both massive reductions in emissions as well as a dramatic scale up of the technologies for negative emissions in order for countries, communities, and individuals to meet our Net Zero goals.

What do greenhouse gases have to do with climate change?

The release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere causes the Earth’s temperature to rise by trapping heat from the sun like a blanket.

Exactly how much greenhouse gas needs to be removed from the atmosphere depends on how much emissions can be cut, but both strategies need to be employed if we are going to slow down climate change and other detrimental environmental effects to our planet.

Our climate, which is the average weather in a place over a long period of time, is directly affected by the Earth’s atmosphere. Historically, the Earth’s atmosphere has naturally maintained a balance of carbon sources (processes that release carbon into the atmosphere) and sinks (processes that capture carbon out of the atmosphere). 

However, since the Industrial Revolution, humans have disrupted the balance by releasing increased amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to an accelerated warming. In the past 100 years, the Earth’s temperature has risen approximately 1.2 degrees celsius (34.15 degrees fahrenheit) and the amount  of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by over 50%.

What is the impact of a warmer planet (called CLIMATE CHANGE)?

Many people think that climate change only affects temperature, but the Earth is a complex inter-connected system. In addition to continued heat waves, warmer water changes the patterns of ocean currents, affecting global weather patterns; some places will become more susceptible to drought and wildfires, while other places will be pummeled by stronger tropical storms, flooding and erosion. The increase in the planet’s temperature will continue to cause melting glaciers, sea level rise, worsening droughts and heatwaves, reduced biodiversity, extinction of species, crop failures, displacement of entire towns/cities, and the spread of infectious diseases that are more easily transmitted in a warmer climate.

The World Health Organization has classified climate change as the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century. The good news is that communities and governments around the world are taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect carbon stored in forests and vegetation, and identify and utilize new technologies to remove carbon from the atmosphere. In the 2015 landmark Paris Agreement, many countries agreed that climate change could only be tackled if countries worked together and there they pledged to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees celsius.

What does this mean for Westport?

In 2017, the Town of Westport (by RTM resolution) was one of the first municipalities in Connecticut to announce its goal of becoming Net Zero by 2050. Unlike the Paris Agreement, Westport’s RTM resolution is not singularly focused on greenhouse gas emissions, but rather a holistic view of Net Zero:

“Be it resolved that the Town of Westport shall commit to using its best efforts to continue to support climate action to meet the Paris Agreement and become a Net Zero community by the year 2050, where the community has reduced its impacts across energy, water, and waste so that they are sustainably managed, using approaches that are economically viable, of social benefit, and environmentally responsible.”

As a town, we need to be AMBITIOUS about tackling climate change and our environment. Changing individual behavior is important, but we are even more impactful together. The RTM resolution is just the beginning of creating and nurturing a sustainable town for our children and future generations of Westporters. We must take a long-term view and seek out opportunities to innovate and implement green technologies, investing now, to improve our future.

What can I do to help?

• Transportation: Drive less; fly less. Carpool. Bike and walk. Use public transportation when possible.
• Energy: Conduct a home energy audit – insulate your home better to lead to less energy consumption and waste. Switch to electric – heat pumps and induction. And better yet, explore ways to switch to renewable energy – solar and geothermal are both viable options in CT.
• Waste: Be thoughtful about your waste. Reduce and refuse single use plastics (do you need that straw or plastic utensil when you are going home to eat that take out?)
• Buy better (if you eat meat, how was the meat raised and produced?)
• Buy smarter (only buy what you need)
• Recycle right (separate glass and bring to the Transfer station)
• Compost: Divert your food scraps and join the Zero Food Waste Challenge
• Stay Informed: Keep educating yourself for your health and your family’s health and the health of the planet. We need to spread awareness so that more people in our community are aware and engaged. Sign up for our newsletter for monthly articles, tips, and sustainable news.

The RTM (Representative Town Meeting) has recently shared a draft ordinance to limit the use of gas powered leaf blowers. Please review the information below and show your support by signing the petition, calling or writing members of the RTM, and attending one or more of the upcoming town meetings listed below.

Thank you for your support!

Overview of the draft ordinance:

• Restricts gas blower use to ONLY between March 15-April 30 and October 15-December 31. Gas leaf blowers will not be allowed outside of these timeframes.
• The number of blowers used simultaneously is not limited — landscapers will be free to use as many blowers as needed during cleanups, regardless of lot size
• Battery and electric blowers are permitted year round
• No blowing of any kind permitted before 8 a.m. or after 5 .m., or on state or federal holidays
• The ordinance will not apply to town-owned property or to golf courses
• Enforcement will be managed through the Westport Conservation Department

Why should the Town of Westport restrict gas leaf blowers?

Gas leaf blowers are more than just a noise nuisance, they cause harm both from an environmental and human health perspective. Not to mention, battery-powered equipment has become an increasingly practical alternative, causing less air and noise pollution.

This partial ban of gas leaf blowers is a small step to reduce the impact of climate change, provides an opportunity for Westport to lead the state in progressive legislation, and also supports our town’s resolution of becoming Net Zero by 2050.

Climate:

• Westport (and Fairfield County) already has one of the highest ozone levels in the state. Gas leaf blowers are a major source of nitrogen oxide, which combines with VOCs and sunlight to form additional ground-level (“bad”) ozone. The EPA recommends any area with high ozone levels restrict gas leaf blower use.
• One hour of gas blower use creates as much pollution as driving a sedan 1,100 miles; small engines, like those found in gas leaf blowers, are a larger source of smog-forming emissions than passenger cars.

Environment:

• The high velocity air jets used in gas leaf blowers destroy vegetation as well as insect/pollinator/animal habitats.
• This ordinance supports “Leave the Leaves” initiatives recommended by environmental groups. Allowing fallen leaves to break down naturally, helps improve the soil quality and provides countless wildlife species with habitat.
• Fuel spillage associated with gas leaf blowers contribute to overall groundwater pollution.
• Experts do not recommend blowing grass clippings in the summer, especially in areas susceptible to drought.

Human Health 

• The operation of gas leaf blowers contributes to hearing loss. The World Health Organization advises that noise becomes harmful at 55 dB. According to the CDC, a gas leaf blower emits noise at 90 dB. Even from 800 feet away, the noise has been found to exceed the 55 dB threshold.
• Exposure to noise not only harms hearing, but the CDC notes that it can lead to health problems including stress, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
• Gas powered leaf blowers are a major source of carbon monoxide, which when inhaled cause fatigue, headaches, confusion, and dizziness due to inadequate oxygen delivery to the brain.

TAKE ACTION

Sign the Petition:

Click here to sign the change.org petition in support of this ordinance.

Email or Phone the RTM:

• Send a bulk email to our local Representative Town Meeting Members at: RTM-DL@westportct.gov
• You can also find emails and phone numbers to individual members of the RTM here.

Sample Email/Script: Hello, I am a current Westport resident, residing at [insert address]. I am writing in support of the draft ordinance limiting the use of gas leaf blowers to only from March 15 – April 30 and October 15 – December 31. Gas leaf blowers are not only a nuisance but cause a significant environmental and human health concern. To help our community reach the goal of becoming Net Zero by 2050, I fully support this ordinance. Thank you.

Attend RTM Meetings:

RTM Environment Committee
Tuesday, September 27, at 7:30pm via Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting
Phone: +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 899 9191 2546
Passcode: 315247

RTM Finance & Public Works Committee
Wednesday, September 28, at 7pm
Westport Town Hall

RTM Ordinance Committee Meeting
Monday, October 3, at 1pm via Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting
Phone: +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 856 0121 2979
Passcode: 632289

At the Westport Rotary Club meeting this week, Co-Directors Gately Ross and Johanna Martell discussed the meaning of “Net Zero” and outlined the ways Sustainable Westport is supporting the town’s goal of becoming a Net Zero community by the year 2050.

“It was a privilege to connect with members of the Westport Rotary. It was a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness, reinforce our mission, make connections, and showcase our progress. This year, we won a Westport Rotary Community Partnership Organization grant, so we were thrilled to unveil our plans for a K-12 Westport Art Contest promoting glass recycling (coming this school year!),” shared Johanna Martell, Co-Director of Sustainable Westport.