Moultonborough Trash Inspection
 

Moultonborough residents beware!!
I made my more or less weekly visit to the Moultonborough transfer station last Friday, a routine I have been following for nearly 3 years since moving here. For the first time I noted that one of the workers was assigned to intercepting people as they approached the trash chute and ripping open their bags for inspection of contents. As I dumped my bags another gentleman had been stopped and found to have some aerosol cans and newspapers in his general trash. He was receiving some personal coaching as to what was acceptable trash. Not sure what was done with/to this person ultimately.
As mentioned, be aware.

Recycling
 

In Alton, we have to recycle tin cans, clean cardboard, paper including "chip" paper which is like the packaging for cereal boxes, glass, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles. Additionally, we have areas for appliances, metal, leaves and grass, discarded computers and other electronics, and the ability to drop off hazardous waste in the summers on selected weekends. Some of these items incur a small charge.

We have containers at our house for empty soda cans, plastic, glass, and tin cans. We always make the stop at the recycle area before heading to the trash compactors. It amazes me how many people do not make that stop on their way in or out of the transfer station, which probably means there is not much recycling going on in their house.

Alton spends a considerable amount of money monitoring the emission of methane and the presence of harmful materials in the old "dump" area, and I do not mind doing a little separating and recycling to save other areas from that expense.

Glad to see them take an active part.

I had the pleasure
 

On Saturday, I was treated to an inspection. I passed with only one slight demerit!!

Today I bring the recycling in, we will see how that goes.

On Moultonboro's web site for their Waste Management Facility there are some Rules and Regulations about what you can and cannot do.
It also states the following:

* * WARNING * *

Attendants randomly check bags for compliance with this Ordinance. Violators will be turned away with their refuse. There are no exceptions.

http://www.moultonborough.org/pages/...NH_Waste/rules

I hope that other Town's that have transfer stations take an active role in doing the same thing. Good job Moultonboro!

sounds a little like big brother

Yeah I know what is being said. Nothing like standing outside in 13 degree weather discussing your trash output......:rolleye1: Been there. Done that.
I love the fact that while was having this discussion about 10 people walked right by the guy throwing stuff in the bin. I guess that day I was the lucky one. People were looking at me like just committed a crime.:(

I have to wonder when I see the trash haulers running around in there trucks full of bags....Do they have soret out the trash when they get to where they bring it.

Waste Management
 

For those who belong to a home or condo association, you can ask Waste Management to leave a dumpster for 'one stream recycling'. I.E. you don't have to separate the recycled products. They all go in the same dumpster. If you have Waste Management as you disposal operator, depending on the amount of recycled waste, you can save $100 or more a month.

I got inspected too, 1 bag of trash, had a bottle and a can in it. I guess that's two demerits. Guy was very friendly, but I was still a little embarrassed, especially considering I had a large bag of bottles and cans that I recycled. But I guess that's the point of the inspection.....

sounds a little like TSA and going thru security at the airport. Maybe they profiled you :-)

Some of the items bring in revenue for the town - which might be part of why they're checking the recycling efforts.

Power/Ego
 

A few years ago, I had a town sticker and brought my trash down. As all of you remember Clarence from maybe 40 years ago, it was a pleasant experience (hence the "Mt Clarence" sign), well this (bad) day (post Clarence = the new administration), I threw my trash back down the chute and it make a clunk. The attendant then demanded I retrieve the bag. So, to be faithful to the rules, climbed into crushing machine and pulled my bag back....sure enough, it was a bunch of rotten potatoes I was throwing out... perfectly legal. (Where is 'prove yourself innocent' in the Constitution?)

Next stop was the bottle place. One of my jars was rejected for 'food in the bottle'. Ahhh... yes, very true, it was a mayonnaise jar and I had not washed it.... there was a thin film (if you held it up to the light). Ok, I will take it home and wash it. Then I made the fatal mistake of putting green glass in the brown glass pile... I got yelled at, then I observed them breaking all the different colors into the same pile.... Pure do it as I tell you....not what makes sense.

So, now I use Waste Management, pay thru the nose, but there is no hassle. They even call if my output isn't at the curb in time. :) I pay them, but then again I pay the town (thru my elevated taxes....), why can't we have reasonability in town government? Object? I was told my sticker would be revoked, you can have it baby.... :(

I use Waste Mgt at home in Mass. There is probably cheaper ways but lifes way to hectic for me to get yelled at over my trash. Besides I'm not going to spotlessly clean all my recyclying just to throw it away. I do rinse out quick when warranted but that's all. Their just getting plain nuts.

One wonders that if Laconia can go to single stream recycling with Waste Management at no extra cost, why does Moultonborough spend so much money on the Transfer Station to sort/recycle when we also use Waste Management to haul our trash. The local recycling handling was terrific when we were leading the industry, but now single stream recycling is the new standard. A long term cost/benefit analysis needs to be made before any additional taxpayer money is invested (new buildings, new equipment, etc .etc.) in the Moultonborough Transfer Station. It is interesting that the local new management at the Transfer Station is searching bags for a latent can or bottle, but then is encouraging the use of the household trash containers to put some products that usually would go in the demolition pile, since it is more cost effective. Sounds like an independent review of uninterested parties might be in order. How about the transfer station folks checking more aggressively on stickers or what about all the bulk haulers that pick up at summer cottages, etc. etc. Will the transfer folks instill the same level of scrutiny or will the bulk haulers get a free pass. Seems like a little heavy handed....maybe we have too many people working there if there is time for this nonsense. Next thing we will see is a Homeland Security checkpoint with metal detectors. Hope we don't have to take off our shoes.......

I believe I read that the Moultonborough dump actually produces a net profit for the town.
If that is so, it seems worth the little bit of extra effort involved in meeting the dump guidelines.

The town budget for waste management was close to $700K ,but revenue was only about $150K.
It's interesting that this new " random trash checking" ( mine was checked this morning) started after our new road agent (who now oversees the transfer station) and was formerly the chief of police in Moultonborough. Seems to me to be very similar to a police tactic. Old habits I suppose...:confused:

A plug for the Transfer station attendants
 

I have observed that the current transfer station attendants are extremely customer service oriented and most helpful, much more so than in previous years.

In years past, we would send my then 80 year old mother and her 80 year old friend to the dump on occasions when we had lots of items that would normally require a disposal fee. My mother at that time was a resident of Moultonborough with NH plates on her car, and the attendants - upon seeing her - would smile happily at her sight, wave her over to the appropriate station, unload the items for her, and not charge her one penny. Had I gone over in my car with CT plates, I am certain the fee would have been applied (as it had in previous transfer station runs that I had made).

This past summer I was cleaning out an area at the cottage with many old, old, mildew books (from water damage), and brought two large boxes to the transfer station. I was told that the paperbacks were fine for recycling, but the hard covers needed to be torn off of each book. The transfer station attendant proceeded to take my boxes and removed all of the hard covers himself. Very much appreciated, and as helpful and cheerful as he could be.

The question I have here, is whether or not the is a huge incovience? That is what people need to ask themselves.

Having a periodic bags checked is not unreasonable if you ask me. Especially where the town has made it know recycling is a priority. In the good ole days, at the dump you just through stuff in the pit, and it got covered up. Well the dump filled up. Now in Moultonborough everything is hauled away.

Sure the town could decided to just let the dumpsters get filled up with everything. But Moultonborough made a choice. The have required trash to be seperated. This ultimately saves the town money. The trash dumpsters are only filled with trash, and thus don't have to emptied as often. The recyclable materials are seperated out, and the town can make some money with them.

This all makes sense to me. the rules of the dump are known. The routine inspections seem reasonable to me.

It sounds like Russia or Nazi Germany to me! And we still have freedom in this country? They are now checking our TRASH???? I can't believe it! Is there anything about our lives that does not require a permit or police-ing now?

That was very well put and I agree with you 100% !!

To compare anything that we do in this country to the likes of Nazi Germany is a rather harsh statement.
Evidently you are too young to understand what went on during the time that the Nazi's were in control of Germany.

I was inspected again today. No big deal if you are doing your part, we are good recyclers for the most part.

I did send a note to RA Kinmond that perhaps a sign (even on a sawhorse at the facility entrance) noting that screening of trash will occur may be prudent and keep the insults to the employees down (the worker I spoke with today said he could not repeat some of the names he has been called).

I agree wholeheartedly with Yosemite- please do not equate getting your trash inspected for recyclables with the holocaust that Nazi Germany perpetrated.

Scott has been RA for some time now and this new practice just started. I am sure that the checks started because the attendants heard way too many bottles and cans clanking into the trash dumpster.

There is no question that it takes some effort to comply. As was noted above, I would love to see a single stream recycling system implemented. We had it at a past residence and it was so easy.

Its the id
 

I cannot imagine the kind of person who would resort to profanity upon being "caught" with contraband. The folks at the Center are just doing their job by inspecting the rubbish bags.

Of course it is the id "a cauldron full of seething excitations" that causes these explosions of emotion upon being caught with a mayo jar bottle mixed with a couple of egg shells and a few wet coffee grounds.

I don't really think there is anything insidious going on, but it seems to me that making "random" checks of trash bags the first step to address the problem ( if there really is a problem) is too heavy handed. Nothing of this was ever discussed at selectmen meetings. Why not just post some signs and reminders before going to the hefty bag search? I know the guys there are just doing what they are told, but I don't like it.
Personally, I feel a bit violated.

People ignore signs and written reminders. The only way to get the attention of people is to do random checks. This really gets the word around that they want people to follow the rules and regualtions of the transfer station.

I do feel sorry for the workers who have to do the checks. I hope that no one gets hurts in a physical way.

Wow... who would have thought people would get so passionate about their garbage. ;)

Maybe it's me, but I thought our landfill was the social mecca in town. When a microburst tornado dropped a mess o' trees on our house, I remember strangers coming up to me at the landfill to ask if we were OK or if we needed anything (and it's also where I learned our house had been on AP news.) People were so nice - and I didn't know half of them from Adam.

The guys who run the thing don't have any agendas - they're doing what they have to in a job that... well... who would really want the job? They work with household waste - sometimes very hazardous waste - and I'm sure they're job is no picnic, especially in the summer. Cut 'em some slack, maybe.... or escalate your complaint to the town administrator if they're really out of line.... but it sound to me like (and sorry to say it... but it's my kids' saying) "Busted like Colonel Mustard!" :D

There are many ways our privacy is violated by businesses and the government but forcing citizens to show their garbage is an added violation, pure and simple. The slide down the slippery slope continues.

I thought there was a Sign some where over by the dumpster?

Not that I go there all that often, usually only a few times a year, but I could have sworn I saw a sign at some point.... of course it could be that the sign is no gone I suppose...

Some Good News Today...
 

Laconia council concludes it's time to step up recycling...

http://citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...916/-1/CITIZEN

My friend Sherry went to the tranfer station today. They said checking the trash will be done on a regularly. Of course they checked hers. During the summer they said there will be two checking the bags at all times. Gotta love small town news!

Just one plastic-gallon-container of used oil in the wrong place would produce a "slippery slope". ;)

There are 2 signs I believe. One says something like"Moultonborough is a mandatory recycle town per order of the BoS".

My thought is that a sign at the entrance telling people that random bag checks will be occurring will alleviate the attendants from having to be the first bearers of bad news. Some people will turn around, others will separate before approaching the dumpsters.

Ah, there are signs, but if they don't say anything about periodic inspection then VB I believe I have to agree with you, a sign pointing that fact out should be posted....

Just saying "Moultonborough is a mandatory recycle town per order of the BoS" is definately not good enough.

I'm just waiting for someone to post that he got inspected the day he decided to part with his collection of gentlemen's magazines.

http://www.arboristsite.com/images/smilies/popcorn.gif

Bwahahaha... We should start a poll on when the first arrest will be for 'whatever'

Here is the link to the transfer station ordinance. http://www.moultonborough.org/Pages/...coverypark.pdf
I don't see anywhere that the ordinance authorizes the attendants to search your trash.
I can see potential problems. What if someone flat out refuses to have their trash searched? What is the procedure for the attendant to follow? Call the MPD?

Well... If You Work For Waste Management...
 

They may be able to cut you some slack... Maybe renegotiate your benefits... :D :laugh:

Authority
 

Section 7.6- Authority is hereby delegated by the Board of Selectmen to Transfer Station Attendants or designees to supervise the separation of materials under this ordinance, as indicated in 7.2 above, and to enforce the ordinance as required.


To be clear, I would prefer single stream recycling but what we have is what we have for now. I don't love having my bags checked. It does make me think though.

? Example of "slippery slope" ...... ?

1. Sound of metal or glass heard whilst trash bag makes contact with trash recepticle.

2. Militant employee of town recycling center "forces" citizen to retrieve bag and open it for inspection.

3 Upon discovery of contraband material, dumper is "forced" into removing contraband ( even if it requires the soiling of dumper's hands ) material and further "forced" to take said material to the "proper" recepticle and deposit it there.

4. As embarassed violator drives from center, license plate number is noted and enterred into log.

5. Police Department is notified of the tag number and the nature of the recycling violation.

6. P.D. obtains residential address of violater.

7. Surveillance is set up by P.D. on violator's residence and vehicle.

8. Search warrants are sought by P.D. and are granted by the court, based on the representation of "dump violation".

9. Violator's residence and vehicle are searched. Trace of illicit material is discovered in ashtray.

10. Criminal charges are comenced against the dump violator.

11. Violator seeks legal counsel. Advance fee is more than violator wishes to pay. Violator becomes severely aggitated.

12 Violator, realizing prison term is real and likely, takes his hunting rifle and ....................................



"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"

I wish the dump dudes...
 

...would show me how to get the dog food out of the can. With the coating they put inside those buggers, the stuff doesn't want to come out.

I once got yelled at because I recycled Corona bottles without removing the limes. I do not have a lime remover. I had to switch beers:D