pedal people news winter 2019

(originally sent January 23, 2019)

PEDAL PEOPLE NEWS WINTER 2019

Greetings from the Pedal People Press: 

...a simple, informative newsletter to support our collective path to
sustainability...

Contents:

* Disposal details: shredded paper and Christmas lights
* What's recyclable? And what's not?
* Snow day information 
* Planning a year of less waste
* A peek inside a Pedal People meeting

** DISPOSAL DETAILS **

Please put your shredded paper in a paper bag inside your recycling
tote. The Materials Recycling Facility in Springfield, where all our
recyclables go, has asked that shredded paper be contained within a
paper bag for easier processing. 

We can collect your broken Christmas lights as scrap metal. Please put
them aside, and not in your trash bag or recycling totes so it can be
properly sorted. 

** WHAT'S RECYCLABLE? AND WHAT'S NOT? **

Black plastic is not recyclable, it needs to be bagged as trash. Many
take-out containers and prepared food containers are made of plastic
that is black. These containers are trash.

Plastic bags cannot be recycled in your normal pick-up. You can,
however, take them yourself to a plastic bag collection site, such as
at Big Y, Stop & Shop, and Target. If you want to put plastic bags out
with your Pedal People pick-up, they should be bagged as trash. Here's
an article written by Susan Waite, Northampton Department of Public
Work's Waste Reduction Coordinator, on plastic bags:

https://www.gazettenet.com/Waste-Reduction-column-18728626

** SNOW DAY INFORMATION **

Usually we maintain our regular pick up schedule on snowy days. 
Occasionally we postpone pickups if the storm is particularly intense.
 If a carrier feels confident and safe, they may choose to pick up as
usual while others may postpone.  You will be notified directly by
your carrier if a pick up will be postponed. Rarely, but on occasion,
we cancel all pick ups. We will notify all customers and post a
message on our website if that is the case. As a reminder, your pick
up may occur anytime between 8am-5pm to allow us the flexibility to
adjust our day to the weather and efficient planning of our route for
the day so we may get to everyone. Feel free to contact us if you have
any questions. 

** PLANNING A YEAR OF LESS WASTE **

Northampton Department of Public Works runs many waste reduction
events throughout the year. Their series is one of many ways we can
plan to reduce waste this year. Their events range from fix/repair
events to garden pot swaps to special recycling events for items like
styrofoam, fabrics, and bulky rigid plastics. If you have reusable
items you are looking to get rid of, or materials that are only
recyclable at these special events, set them aside and mark your
calendar with your opportunity to pass them off to someone else
instead of sending them to a far away landfill. 

You can check this website for 2019 date listings (updated by March):


https://www.northamptonma.gov/1823/Events

** A PEEK INSIDE A PEDAL PEOPLE MEETING **

Once a month the worker-owners of Pedal People convene for a meeting.
One of my favorite parts of the meeting is our round of check-ins.
Every meeting we start with an opportunity for everyone to talk about
how things are going for them. This is when we hear about flat tires,
riding uphill and being passed by pedestrians, making record time on a
route, that time the cat litter bag busted open all over everything,
and, of course, the weather. This space we make for more personal
stories can be entertaining, and we certainly bond over tough weather
and other adversities.

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