Recycle Shed Stalkers Sidelined

New sign limits time people can hang out. Some had been spending the day waiting for stuff to be unloaded. And sometimes, they didn't wait...

By Ellyn Santiago

Stonington Solid Waste and Recycling director John Phetteplace said the reason for the new signage at the transfer station is to ensure that the reusable shed is at once accessible to all and fair to all. A number of residents were found to often be spending inordinate amounts of time parked at the location waiting for people to bring goods for reuse or recycling, and, in some cases, actually going to people as soon as they arrived and taking goods before they were even unloaded.

Phetteplace said that while the new signage has helped by reducing the loitering, he wanted to point out that the shed’s singular purpose is to “help reduce tipping fees.”

In the 20 minutes that Stonington Patch spent at the shed, six individuals came to peruse and, in some cases, grab items that caught their eye. And that’s fine, Phetteplace said, as long as people are not there for any longer than 15 minutes at a time.

The Transfer Station, located at 151 Greenhaven Road, is open Monday and Tuesday form 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., is closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 to 3, Saturday from 8 to 3 and Sunday from 8 to 1 p.m.

For more information, check the website at http://www.stonington-ct.gov/Pages/StoningtonCT_SolidWaste/transfer