PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A solid waste forum this Wednesday at the Berkshire Innovation Center will focus on legislation regarding mattress and pain recycling. 

 

The event is a partnership between the Dalton Green Committee and Berkshire Innovation Center in an effort to address the solid waste crisis because of the dwindling number of landfills. The forum runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with a reception at 5:30.

 

During the 90-minute forum, panelists will discuss recycling paint and mattresses using the Product Stewardship approach, in which manufacturers take responsibility for end life of their products. 

 

 

Measures brought before the Legislature can potentially decrease the amount of materials going to landfills resulting in a cleaner environment. 

 

Solid waste from Dalton is currently being transported to either Binghamton or Plattsburgh, N.Y., the town's Green Committee member Thomas Irwin said at last week's committee meeting. 

 

When those landfills get filled the town will have to start hauling its waste to o Pennsylvania or Ohio.

 

With that gasoline prices go up and the cost of getting rid of waste increases. 

 

"If we instituted a system where these items were recycled as opposed to needing to be landfilled, we could gain control of and stop that particular problem," Irwin said. 

 

Public good is also enhanced by how the materials are recycled because of where it is going, Green Committee member Todd Logan said. 

 

Some 85 to 95 percent of latex that is submitted for reuse is able to be recycled and sold for "pennies on the dollar" to places like Restore and Habitat for Humanity, Irwin said. 

 

The legislation regarding paint would eliminate the hazardous waste caused by the material and remove about a half percent of the total waste stream, and would make it easier for people to discard paint. 

 

The Product Stewardship approach is a collaboration between the four main parties to the legislation — manufacturers, paying retailers, consumers and the government. The agreement between the parties has to be turned into a law to prevent those against it from bringing an antitrust suit against the paint industry. 

 

This is the seventh time this bill has been brought before the Legislature so it is important that people are aware of this opportunity because it will encourage the legislation to vote in favor of it, Irwin said, 

 

"So, we want to make sure it has enough momentum to make it out of committee and get to the legislative floor where I think the odds are very high that it will be voted into law," Irwin said.