When Recycling is a Waste

Much to the chagrin of New Canaan's dedicated recyclers, there have been recent reports of heedless trash collectors who are indiscriminately combining all the trash together in their garbage trucks, ignoring the town's recycling laws.

"It really is disturbing knowing in some cases our trash collectors are just taking that work and throwing it into the trucks," said Town Councilman Steve Karl, referring to the hard work of residents who sort their recyclables.

According to the New Canaan Department of Health, there are eleven licensed refuse collection companies the town hires to collect trash and recyclables, all of which are privately owned. Some residents have witnessed their trash collectors not obeying recycling laws during the early morning hours when garbage trucks make their routes.

"Recycling has never been a big deal in my life but lately it seems like it's become something of a cause with me," said New Canaan resident Anne Sutton at Wednesday evening's Town Council meeting. Sutton says she takes the time to sort her trash, but recently saw her trash collector dumping it all together.

Another resident fired his trash collector after he caught him mixing the recycling with the garbage.

"About two months ago I looked out the window when the guy was collecting the trash… He picked up the blue bin I took time separating and just dumped it in with the other trash," said New Canaan resident Dave Kostek.

"There's a couple of bad guys in towns and they need to be dealt with," said Bill Geisweit, owner of B&G Refuse Co., one of the firms licensed to collect trash in New Canaan. Geisweit says his trash collectors do their best to sort recycling, however there isn't always room on the trucks to accommodate both garbage and recycling. 

Private trash companies collect the town's refuse and then deliver it to New Canaan's Transfer Station, where they drop off their garbage and recycling. From the transfer station, private haulers pick the trash up once more and bring it to either a burning plant in Bridgeport or a recycling plant in Stamford.

Once it gets to the New Canaan Transfer Station, oversight of the recycling becomes murky. The Board of Selectmen are granted the power to fine collectors who do not comply with recycling laws, however it remains unclear how the Selectmen can keep tabs on such a vast operation. Fines for non-compliant trash collectors can range from $1,000 to $5,000, however no fines have ever been given out.

"People need to be aware we are concerned," said Councilwoman Christine Hussey. "We need to levy fines to [collectors] who are not complying with the law."