Falmouth Enterprise, Feb. 3, 2023, by Noelle
The town issued all residents 96-gallon recycle carts in summer 2022.
Smaller recycling carts are available for Falmouth residents who have struggled with the size of the new 96-gallon recycling carts that were rolled out over the summer.
The carts are now available in 96-gallon, 64-gallon, and 32-gallon sizes. Recycling Coordinator Mary Ryther stressed that the smallest carts, the 32-gallon ones, are very small and only work for one-person homes, particularly ones that do not get packages in cardboard boxes.
The smaller carts âsure are cute,â Ms. Ryther said. âBut they donât hold much, and we only have a very limited number of them.â
The Department of Public Works bought new, wheeled recycling carts to replace the old, hand-held recycling bins using Town Meeting funds. In addition, the American Beverage Association provided a grant through the Recycling Partnership, which reimbursed the town $325,000 plus $1 for every 96-gallon bin it purchased, according to DPW staff.
The town purchased 64-gallon carts with the reimbursement funds and even purchased a few hundred 32-gallon carts which are available on request. Anyone who would prefer a smaller recycling cart must fill out and submit an application or mail recyclingcarts@falmouthma.gov with their names, street address, and reason for their request.
Ms. Ryther told the Enterprise in July that many Falmouth residents were struggling with the size of the new carts and the DPW intended to purchase smaller carts for those residents once the Recycling Partnership reimbursed the town. The DPW also sought out smaller, used recycling carts from the swap shop on Gifford Street and distributed them to residents while waiting for the new ones.
The 96-gallon carts were the only size recycling cart that the grant would reimburse the town for, Ms. Ryther said. The size was also recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for towns with every-other-week recycling curbside collection.