Ordinance Explained | Franklin NH

The cost of collecting and disposing of solid waste continues to rise and impact the operating budget of the City of Franklin. After 18 months of review by the City Council and staff, the City is embarking on a new program to manage and dispose of solid waste generated by residents and businesses in the City. Franklin is showing strong leadership by implementing a mandatory single-stream recycling program that will make it easy and convenient for property owners to recycle a wide range of items and help save money for the City at the same time. The new Solid Waste Ordinance, adopted by the City Council in December of 2009, provides for the following:

Mandatory recycling for all single and two-family homes and residential buildings with 6 units or less.
The recyclable items can be mixed together to eliminate the need for residents to separate the items at home. This is called single stream recycling.
The City will provide each residence or building with properly sized containers to be used for both the recycled materials and the regular trash.
The trash must be bagged and then placed into container with the gray lid. The recyclable materials must be placed loose into the container with the green lid.
On your solid waste collection day you will wheel the containers out to the street or curb area [with the handle facing the home] so that they can be picked up by the new automated city-operated trucks.
Mandatory recycling will be carried out in all city-owned buildings including the schools.

Since the City is establishing a mandatory recycling program, each resident and participating business will need to do their part in helping to make this program work efficiently. For properties that are having a hard time following the simple procedures, the Ordinance allows:

Two Courtesy Notices to be issued when certain items are not authorized for curb side pick-up or when a property owner is not separating the recyclables from the regular trash.
After the Courtesy Notice, a formal Notice of Non-Compliance would be issued, which could lead to a discontinuation of service.

It is not the goal of the City to punish residents and property owners for failure to comply with the procedures in the Ordinance. But the effectiveness of the overall solid waste program suffers if, for example, trash is mixed in with the recyclables. To help everyone become familiar with the procedures the City will work closely with the schools, civic organizations and all interested residents to educate and inform everyone on the easy steps that need to be taken to maximize the amount of recycling the City can accomplish together.

A few other important things to remember:

The Transfer station will remain open for residents and property owners to dispose of their recyclables and regular trash, with mandatory recycling in effect. As is the practice today, other items such as construction debris, appliances, and electronics may be disposed of at the Transfer Station but are subject to a disposal charge.
All residents need to work to keep the containers in good shape and use the lids provided to keep rain and animals from getting in. Treated well, the containers will last for many years. If the recycling or trash containers are damaged, any repairs will be carried out by the City. If the damage is a result of misuse or neglect then the City may issue a Notice of Non-Compliance and require that any future repairs be paid for by to the property owners.

The City of Franklin has worked hard to develop this recycling and collection program. The rules for making it a success are simple and easy. If everyone works together then this program can become a model for other communities around the state. Please call the Municipal Services Department at 934-4103 with any questions. The City Council and staff thank you for your anticipated cooperation.