Early trash collection survey results could kick hopes of townwide curbside pickup to the curb. In a March 13 meeting with the Solid Waste Disposal & Recycling Advisory Committee, consultants Tetra Tech shared their preliminary analysis of the recent waste disposal survey responses, in which residents largely emphasized the value provided by Needham’s Recycling Transfer Station.
After a two-week response period, more than 2,300 responses were collected, representing about 20 percent of households in Needham.
“This is more [responses] than we’ve received on any other municipal survey we’ve done,” said Matt DeMarrais, Needham’s superintendent of recycling and solid waste.
The high number of responses was not a fluke, DeMarrais said, as considerable time and effort went into publicizing the effort and notifying residents about the survey’s intentions. That included working with Director of Communications Amy Haelsen and getting the survey in front of all Needham residents, including a postcard mailing to every household.
By and large, the survey showed that residents both use and value the RTS, with 72 percent of respondents saying they use it exclusively for their waste disposal, and 17 percent saying they use a combination of the RTS and private curbside pickup.
Of those who use the RTS, a whopping 57 percent visit the facility weekly, and another 21 percent use it biweekly.
The frequent use of the facility alone is not necessarily an indicator of its popularity — without townwide trash pickup, the RTS is the most budget-friendly option for waste disposal. However, a secondary portion of the survey demonstrates that residents not only use the facility, but would prefer to continue doing so.
Asked about their waste management preferences, 47 percent of respondents said they would prefer to have both the RTS and curbside collection, while 42 percent would like to rely solely on the RTS. Only 11 percent of respondents would prefer a curbside-only model.
And when it comes to actually paying for curbside collection, respondents were more skittish: 64 percent either disagreed or strongly disagreed with paying more in property taxes to support curbside trash service, and another 13 percent were neutral on the issue.
By contrast, 31 percent of respondents were in favor of paying more to expand RTS infrastructure, and another 27 percent were neutral on the issue.
The consultants acknowledged that the survey slightly underrepresented a few demographics in Needham, including renters, households with income under $50,000 and residents ages 18-35.
Residents who use the RTS were asked about their feelings on the current facility, most of which were positive. Respondents shared that the facility is convenient, safe, easy to navigate and cost-effective.
According to the consultants, respondents also emphasized the community feel of the facility. When the Observer reported on the survey earlier this year, several residents commented on the social aspect of the dump, calling it a place to catch up with neighbors and acquaintances.
On the other hand, some respondents said the RTS could use a little more attention to cleanliness and customer service. One of the most common complaints was the desire for expanded hours, notably Sunday, Monday and evening hours for those with busy work schedules.
The consultants said they would continue to analyze the data and work on developing four separate models that could be implemented in the future.
These models include the current operation, a curbside collection model, and two models that would expand RTS services, including improved operations and a new compost facility.
DeMarrais said the models may need to be “fine-tuned” before the consultants work in-depth on building them, so the scope of each model could change.
The consultants are expected to deliver a draft of those models in about 12 weeks, at which point they will be presented to the Select Board.
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