Solid Waste Management
Reducing What We Produce
While it is important for the Town to develop innovative ways to increase waste diversion through reuse, recycling, and composting strategies, the most effective strategy for reducing emissions is to decrease waste generation in the first place. The less material that the Town uses for its operations, the less waste will be produced and potentially sent to incineration facilities.
The Town has utilized public policy to adopt waste generation reduction strategies including a community-wide plastic bag ban (2017) and a styrofoam ban in public schools (2020). The Town is also working to adopt centralized municipal procurement strategies that minimize the amount of paper and single-use items that are purchased.
Water Management
Water Conservation Strategies
Water conservation has been a long-standing priority for the Town with the development of the Shrewsbury Water Conservation Project in 2006. The Town aims to reduce water consumption among municipal users, in particular, through appliance upgrades and education. Currently, the average Town employee uses 8.2 gallons of water per day, which is better than average national usage for office buildings (13 gallons per person per day).
In addition to reducing water demand in municipal facilities, the Town can also work to enhance water supply and quality through low-impact design and stormwater management practices.
Water Management
Treatment Facilities
In 2018, the Town began operating the start-of-the-art Home Farm Water Treatment Plant. The plant’s treatment process utilizes the newest generation of manganese removal filtration which encompasses a greener and more environmentally sustainable methodology to biologically remove the manganese, as opposed to conventional treatment methods that use chemicals to remove the manganese.
What You Can Do
Reduce Your Waste & Water Consumption
Know what materials are recyclable
Install an efficient showerhead to save gallons each shower
Explore water conservation tips for landscaping
