Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 7 Alderman Bob Trane deliver the first new zero-sort recycling cart to Hooker St. resident Anastasios Papatsoris.

Mayor and Aldermen make first delivery in Ward 7
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In advance of next week’s official start of citywide zero-sort recycling, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and a group of Somerville Aldermen made the first delivery of new zero-sort carts to local residents.

The first carts are being delivered in Ward 7 in the western part of the city and the cart delivery trucks will move east over the next few weeks. The 65-gallon wheeled carts have the same footprint as the blue recycling bins residents currently use, but hold a much greater amount of recyclables and prevent those recyclables from getting blown around the neighborhood in windy weather. Residents also do not have to sort their recyclables. Plastics, paper, glass bottles, aluminum cans, even pizza boxes can all be put in the same cart.

“It’s amazing how excited people are about zero-sort recycling,” Curtatone said. “Some people love it for environmental reasons. Some people love it because it will help keep their neighborhoods cleaner. And everybody seems to love how easy it makes recycling.”

Ward 7 Alderman Bob Trane, Alderman-at-Large Jack Connolly and Alderman-at-Large Bruce Desmond helped the Mayor deliver the first carts.

“This is the culmination of a lot of years of work,” Trane said. “I drafted the original Board resolution to move toward zero-sort recycling and now we’re seeing it all come together with the first new carts arriving right here in Ward 7. In addition to being good for the environment, the city gets 40% back on the value of the material we recycle, and we pay less in trash tipping fees by removing those recyclables from the solid waste stream. So you can be green and make green at the same time.”

The city has posted a YouTube video of the delivery. The zero-sort program officially starts next week. All residents who are part of the city recycling program no longer will need to separate their paper from their plastics. Some residents will not receive their new carts until after the start of the program. They should continue to use their current blue bins as a temporary substitute until the new carts are delivered curbside to their residence.

Those with additional questions can call 311 (or use email, Facebook or Twitter) or go to the city website at http://www.somervillema.gov/alerts/zero-sort-recycling-information