Recycling Coordinator Doris Burtman has new office space and hours and is looking to recruit some volunteer help to bolster recycling in town.
Burtman, who worked from a home office in previous years, has moved into the Department of Public Works offices at 165 Nahatan St. and has regular office hours, from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday.
She's looking for help on the Recycling Committee, which is putting together a Recycling, Reuse, Reduce Guide for residents to help them divert materials out of the waste stream.
She also hopes residents will take advantage of her new office hours and look to her as a resource if they have questions on what can be recycled or what to do about items such as fluorescent bulbs, televisions and computer monitors that cannot be thrown out with the trash.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is making a big push to get items containing mercury out of the waste stream, said Burtman, especially as the new compact fluorescent high-efficiency light bulbs that contain small amounts of mercury are becoming more popular.
"Mercury is a neurotoxin, so it's important to get this out of the waste stream," said Burtman, who said residents have several options, including waiting for the town's recycling days or taking the items to the several chain stores that take them back.
Other items that contain mercury, such as thermometers, can be dropped off at the Board of Health.
The town's Recycling Committee is also concentrating on trying to boost the recycling of paper.
The effort is being done in tandem with a statewide push called Mass Recycles Paper, which was launched last year by the Massachusetts Recycling Coalition. It is aimed at curbing what the coalition claims is 1.5 million tons of paper thrown into the trash rather than recycled every year.
"That 1.5 million tons costs the taxpayers roughly $100 million so we're not only wasting resources, we're wasting taxpayer money," said Burtman.
Burtman and the committee have developed a chart for residents showing exactly which items can be recycled and which items are considered trash. Burtman is convinced that many residents in town are confused and end up throwing away many items that should be recycled.
"I drive around and see these 64 gallon (trash) containers and they're filled up and overflowing which, really, there's no way that should happen if people are recycling properly," said Burtman, who has posted the recycling chart along with other recycling information on the town Web site (www.norwoodma.gov).
Burtman said she is also concerned that residents are mistakenly placing recycling items in small plastic bags. Once the recycling materials get to the recycling plant, the bags and everything in them are thrown away because the bags jam the large sorting machines.
"They treat the bags like trash and all that effort to recycle goes for naught," said Burtman.
Burtman can be reached at 781-255-9988 or dburtman@norwoodma.gov.
Daily News staff writer Brian Falla can be reached at 781-433-8339 or at bfalla@cnc.com.
