SWMOC Survey

The Selectmen appointed the Solid Waste Management Options Committee (SWMOC) last year to study various options for disposal of trash and recyclables and to advise the Selectmen on available alternatives. SWMOC is conducting this survey of Sudbury residents to determine current disposal practices and preferences for other options.

The survey should take about 10 minutes, and the Committee is grateful for your input and your help. If you have questions or comments beyond the scope of this survey, please contact the Committee at swmoc@sudbury.ma.us. For more information about the Committee, visit the town website, www.sudbury.ma.us, and click on Committees. Thank you.

1. How do you currently dispose of your trash? (Check all that apply.)

• Picked up at curb.
• Picked up at backdoor/garage.
• Handled under condominium or apartment complex contract.
• Take to Sudbury Transfer Station on Rt. 20 near Wayland town line
• None of the above

2. If you answered "None of the above" for Question 1, please describe how you currently dispose of your trash.

(Response character length limit: 5000; remaining: )

3. How do you currently dispose of your recyclables? (Check all that apply.)

• Picked up at curb.
• Picked up at backdoor/garage.
• Throw out with the trash.
• Handled under condominium or apartment complex contract.
• Take to Sudbury Transfer Station on Rt. 20 near Wayland town line.
• None of the above

4. If you answered "None of the above" for question 3, please describe how you currently dispose of your recyclables.

(Response character length limit: 5000; remaining: )

5. How many people are there in your household?

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 or more

6. How many age 18 or under?

(No choice selected.) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 or more

7. How many age 65 or over?

(No choice selected.) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 or more

8. In choosing your method of trash disposal, how important are the following factors to you on a scale of 1 to 5? (1 – Very Important, 5 – Not important at all.)

a. Cost?

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4 5

b. Recycling options?

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4 5

c. Convenience?

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4 5

9. How satisfied are you with your current choice of trash disposal method for each of these factors on a scale of 1-5? (1-Very Satisfied, 5-Not Satisfied at all.)

a. Cost?

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4 5

b. Recycling options?

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4 5

c. Convenience?

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4 5

10. Please rank the following four trash disposal factors in order of importance to you. (1 - Most important of the four, 4 - Least important of the four)

a. Cost

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4

b. Recycling

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4

c. Convenience

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4

d. Social/community aspect of Transfer Station

(No choice selected.) 1 2 3 4

11. Are there any other factors that you feel are important? If so, please list the factors and describe their level of importance.

(Response character length limit: 5000; remaining: )

If you pay a private hauler to pick up your trash, please answer Questions 12-14. If you take your trash to the Sudbury Transfer Station, please skip to Question 15.

12. Why do you use a private hauler to pick up your trash? (Check all that apply.)

• It is convenient – I just have to bring my trash to the curb.
• It is very convenient – The hauler picks up my trash at backdoor/garage.
• They let me put out extra trash bags without charging me.
• They pick up my recyclables.
• They pick up my yard waste.
• They pick up appliances, furniture, etc.
• I do not know anything about Sudbury’s Transfer Station.
• I have always used curb-side pickup for my trash.
• I don't want to haul my trash to the Transfer Station in my car.
• I don't want to deal with pay-as-you-throw bags.
• The Transfer Station hours are not convenient for me.

13. Are there any other reasons you use a private hauler? If so, please list them here.

(Response character length limit: 5000; remaining: )

14. How much are you paying for trash/recycling pickup now? Please answer one of the following, and do not include currency signs:

Annual:

Monthly:

Weekly:

Private hauler customers, please go to Question 21.

If you take your trash to the Sudbury Transfer Station, please answer Questions 15-20. Please answer questions 15-18 completely (Do not leave "No choice selected").

15. How often on average do you go to the Transfer Station?

(No choice selected.) Weekly Every other week Once a month

16. How many large yellow bags to you usually take when you go to the Transfer Station?

(No choice selected.) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 or more

17. How many small yellow bags do you usually take when you go to the Transfer Station?

(No choice selected.) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 or more

18. How many Transfer Station car stickers do you have?

• (No choice selected.)
• One
• Two

19. Why do you use Sudbury Transfer Station rather than a private trash hauler? (Check all that apply.)

• It is cheaper.
• It offers scheduling convenience and flexibility.
• I like to maximize recycling.
• I like to go to the Transfer Station.
• I like the “Put & Take” area at Transfer Station.
• I want my kids to be involved in recycling.
• I believe recyclables are handled more responsibly than with curbside pickup.
• I have always used it.
• I don't know what my options are for private haulers.

20. Are there any other reasons that you use the Transer Station? If so, please list them here.

(Response character length limit: 5000; remaining: )

21. If you were to switch to curbside pickup, what services would you want included in the program, keeping in mind that the more services that are included, the more costly the program will be? (Check all that apply.)

• Weekly pickup of recyclables.
• Yard waste pickup during fall and spring.
• Bulky waste (appliances, sofas, furniture, propane tanks) pickup for a fee.
• Christmas tree pickup.
• Maintain all Transfer Station recycling services.

22. Are there any other services you would want included in a curbside program? If so, please describe them here.

(Response character length limit: 5000; remaining: )

All Sudbury residents please answer Questions 23-24.

The base cost of using the Sudbury Transfer Station is about $230 a year counting the sticker fee and one large yellow bag a week; your cost is higher if you discard more than one yellow bag a week. The cost of using private haulers ranges from about $460 to $620 a year.

23. Based on your responses above, your current cost of disposing of trash and recyclables a year is:

24. If you had the opportunity to subscribe to a townwide system of curbside trash and recyclables pickup which included the following features, would you be interested in signing up?

- Each residence would be supplied with a 64-gallon covered tote with wheels for trash.

- Each residence would be supplied with a 64-gallon covered tote with wheels for all recyclables.

- Your trash would be picked up weekly. You would wheel the tote to the curb each week.

- Your recycling tote containing mixed paper, glass, plastic and metal would be picked up weekly. Recyclables would not need to be sorted. You would wheel the tote to the curb each week.

- All Transfer Station recycling services would remain available.

- The cost for such a program, based on data from comparable towns, would be no more than $350 a year. The program would not be funded through property taxes.

• (No choice selected.)
• Yes, I would sign up.
• No, I would not sign up. I would stay with my current situation.

25. Do you have any comments concerning trash and recyclables collection in Sudbury that would be useful to the SWMOC?

(Response character length limit: 5000; remaining: )

Please answer the following question before sending your responses. This question helps prevent computers from submitting automated responses. The answer is "sudbury" without the quotes.

What is the name of this town (7 letters)?