CHESTER
COUNTY · PENNSYLVANIA
NEW LONDON
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T O W N S H I P 902 STATE ROAD P O BOX
1002 NEW LONDON, PA 19360 |
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Home | Meeting Minutes and Agenda
| Building Permits | Calendar of Events | News Releases | Privacy Statement REFUSE & RECYCLING
COMMITTEE |
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A recently appointed committee, called the Refuse and
Recycling Committee, has begun to ask the question: “Should the township
provide residential trash service?”
This
question is connected to the issue of providing a convenient recycling program
for the township. The number of
residents in New London Township has reached (or will very soon) the threshold
population for mandatory recycling – Pennsylvania State Law (Act 101 of 1988)
states that a municipality with 5,000 or more residents must have a recycling
program for its community. Our
committee is working on how New London Township can meet this requirement and
at the same time improve on the refuse collection situation. The following details are being
considered:
Will this system add taxes to each individual’s tax bill,
and if so, how much? Other
municipalities have experienced significant reduction in the cost per household
by having a township-sponsored system for refuse and recycling collection. So, instead of paying a trash hauling
company directly, a resident would pay through taxes, but a lower net cost per
household. It is expected that the
township would contract with existing trash hauler(s) to provide this service,
which would take the refuse to the landfill operated by the Southeastern Chester
County Refuse Authority (SECCRA).
The committee thinks that there could be improved
environmental aspects with a township-wide system: 1) Fewer burn barrels would be used, 2) Less trash and junk would
be dumped along the roads, 3) There would be no need to deposit residential
trash in someone else’s commercial dumpster, and 4) There could be increased
participation in “source separation” for recyclables. And with increased recycling, there will be less material
going to the landfill, and we, as a community, will be doing our part to
conserve natural resources.
Other anticipated advantages for township sponsored refuse
and recycling collection include:
1) Better coordination of time-of-day pick-up scheduling, 2) One truck
for all residents on a given road, 3) Fewer large trash trucks on our small
roads, with less congestion, and 4) Consistent containers for trash and
recyclables.
The committee has been meeting on Monday evenings about
every other week. Thus far we are
considering two draft Ordinances that would establish the legal base for
addressing Refuse and Recycling.
If the Township Supervisors approved ordinances like these, then the
next step would be a contract with one or more hauling companies.
If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about refuse
and recycling, please contact the Township Office.