Braintree and Weymouth Mayors on Maintaining Trash Partnership

Mayors Susan Kay, Weymouth and Joseph C. Sullivan, Braintree agreed today to continue their combined support for regionalization of their trash and recycling programs that they commenced in 2008. Quincy recently decided to deal with a singular trash hauler on its own.

“Our agreement with Braintree is a good one” said Mayor Sue Kay “and now we will look to make it even better”. The Mayors noted that they will issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to test the marketplace for trash/recycling companies to operate the curbside pick up responsibilities for both towns.

“Expiring contracts gives pause to making sure new opportunities and technologies are fully and fairly investigated before we proceed” stated Mayor Kay. Citing the benefits resulting from the previous efforts their DPW teams were able to bring them, the mayors feel that possible savings and the quality of service will be the commitment of their work together.

Mayor Sullivan is a strong proponent of regionalization efforts and noted that Braintree serves as the host community of this agreement with the newly upgraded Covanta transfer station facility on Ivory Street. “The negotiating power of volume, the synergies within the programs of our two communities and past success in our programs encourages me to fully investigate what new
options are available to stabilize costs and move toward better service programs to reduce our trash output and increase our recycling through new efforts – especially those that hold the line on cost while benefiting the environment in the long-run.”

Some of their desired benefits will be increased recycling in Weymouth, as Braintree currently has, by moving to weekly collection. They have investigated a very popular and successful program standardizing collection by using vendor-supplied, wheeled carts that will allow automated collection and greater capacity to recycle. “There are some very successful models being instituted, and we will be looking for the ‘best practices’ and building a program that works for our communities within the next several months” Mayor Sullivan added.

The Mayors currently have Capitol Waste services for trash/recycling and will now look at a number of companies that may be able to offer their services commencing this July 1.

–Office of Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan