On a recent Saturday morning I ran into three guys and spent an hour or so talking trash with them. I do not mean that we got on each other’s cases, not because we had previously met, but rather we had a great conversation about a subject near and dear to all three guys’ hearts: TRASH. More accurately, the recycling thereof.
Tony King, Paul LaFreniere, and Brian Presbie are three of the staff of eight certified recycling techs employed by the department of public works to manage the operation of our transfer station. You usually see them Saturdays or Wednesdays if you head over to “the trash transfer station” at 103 Old Stagecoach Road to drop off recyclable items. After spending time watching their operation, I have to say that they are certainly folks you might enjoy meeting.
We sat and chatted at the old picnic table next to the entrance driveway, frequently interrupted as residents arrived with their “stuff.” I watched as people were quickly processed and dispatched to various bins to unload items.
I learned that this site used to be the “town dump,” but was advised that phrase should be stricken from the English language. LaFreniere explained, “It’s not a dump, because nothing stays here! We make sure that everything people bring in finds the right bin, the right place, so it doesn’t end up in some landfill or a dumpster where it shouldn’t be.”
Their unofficial motto is “Reuse, Recycle, Reduce”, and all three of these guys were excited as they told me about their daily efforts to help the environment. Each one said their goal is to find a way to meet every customer’s needs, and a place for all their “stuff” to go so it could be recycled or reused, thereby reducing the landfills around the country and overall, the world. I have to say, if you have had a mental stereotype of “the guys who work at the dump,” it’s time to toss it out of your mind completely. This crew, and their other team members, really know what they are doing, and perform their jobs with energy, while looking like they are having fun.
King, LaFreniere and Presbie make a great team, handling the steady stream of cars, pick-up trucks, small trailers and residents that make their way into the driveway. Their easy style of talking to the customers and the light-hearted banter between them as they work was like watching a show on the Hallmark channel. But behind the light mood was a clear sense of responsibility, pride and purpose that was admirable.
All three men are retired and decided to work at the transfer station as “something to keep them busy.” King shared that he has been interested in environmental preservation and protection since his youth, having participated in the very first “Earth Day.” LaFreniere and Presbie gave similar reasons for liking their retirement employment, pointing out that they like connecting with the townspeople, and providing a service that helps the environment, and Granby too.
As the morning progressed, they went about their duties surveying loads, directing customers, and even running the backhoe to tamp down a bin that was filling up so it could hold more stuff. Presbie told me, with a wink and a smile, that the most enjoyable part of the job for him is “getting to crush things with the big machine.” King and LaFreniere rolled their eyes at that one and everyone had a good laugh.
The guys gave me the cooks tour, pointing out various bins for metal, cardboard, waste oil, paint, mattresses, and even construction debris. No household trash is permitted, only recyclable items. They were eager to show me the Swap Shop, where folks can drop off gently used items that might be needed by someone else. In fact, the shop is so popular that it could use some enlargement, and the crew hopes funding can be found, or volunteer materials and labor might be donated, to make the Swap Shop big enough to help more people in need.
They also gave me details about the mattress and bedding recycling program, run by the CT Mattress Recycling Council. Over the past few years, it has resulted in more than one million mattresses avoiding landfills. As King relayed details of the program, a truck pulled in with a mattress. King asked the driver if anyone was asleep under the mattress, and everyone had a good chuckle as the man checked his truck bed before answering. Such is the mood at the transfer station this day—easy and light but focused on getting the job done.
Before I left, the crew told me that the toughest days are when it is raining and cold, and they must be outside in the inclement weather all shift. However, even on those days, they spoke of getting deliveries of hot soup, refreshments, and kind words from some regulars who are frequent customers. They also pointed out that if it is really bad weather, they can take shelter in their office, which is an old cell block from a local jail. No one is sure where it came from, but the heavy concrete walls, tiny window and heavily hinged door were proof that it probably once housed local lawbreakers. We all had a good laugh as we joked about their not being able to escape the transfer station even if they wanted to!
As I pulled out from the lot, I watched as the crew went back to their duties, easily working down the queue of three or four cars that arrived almost simultaneously. The line was gone in a few minutes, and it seemed that the “trash talkers” had done their magic. No doubt a few more loads would end up in the right places before the day would end, and that is a good thing for the town and the world. The guys waved to me, and I drove away repeating, “It’s not a dump. Nothing stays here!”