Keeping everything flowing smoothly at the transfer station

By David Beers

Who is someone you see about once a week? He is reliably available for your weekly visit. While somewhat unassuming, he is quite approachable and eager to help. Your spouse, your mom, your dad, your kids – perhaps. Another possible answer is Jim Powelzyk at the Norfolk transfer station. Powelzyk oversees all comings and goings at the transfer station, and it is a busy place! Most Saturdays, north of 150 vehicles are unloading. 

There are separate containers for all sorts of recyclables. With over 10 recycling bins inside and another 10-plus outside, Powelzyk has a lot to track. While most of his work is dealing with residents bringing their garbage, he also coordinates its removal by a variety of recycling and trash haulers. Powelzyk’s number one concern is safety. Powelzyk says with pride that he has prevented many vehicle and pedestrian collisions by keenly directly traffic entering the barn. While directing this rodeo, he is peppered with questions on where to put things. Powelzyk is happy to answer any questions that will prevent stuff going where it does not belong.

Knowing what is recyclable and where to put it can get a bit confusing, particularly if you are not a regular to the transfer station. On page ____ in this issue are the official transfer station guidelines that are posted at the transfer station, on the town website, and at Town Hall. The page has all the basics on where to put what at the transfer station. And, of course, when in doubt, ask Powelzyk.

On the last Tuesday of September, Powelzyk and Kelly Kandra Hughes gave a talk to a full house at the Hub titled, “What Goes Where? How to Make the Most of the Norfolk Transfer Station with Jimmy and Kelly.” The talk began with Powelzyk reviewing transfer station dos and don’ts. While the guidelines following this article summarize this information nicely, there were some don’ts that stood out that are worth mentioning. These don’ts need to go into the trash, which for some of us is hard to do, but it is okay, and right thing to do. If too many non-recyclables are seen in our load at the Hartford recycling processing center, they will reject the load and then the town pays to have it hauled away as trash. Depending on markets, the town either pays nothing or gets a bit of revenue from our recyclables, but the town always pays a fee for trash removal, with that fee periodically increasing.

Some recycling don’ts are no plastic bags, flower pots, empty motor oil containers, empty pesticide/herbicide containers, empty gas cans, empty paint containers, containers over three gallons (a kitty litter container is the maximum size), plastic smaller than your fist (like takeout cup lids), black takeout containers (even if it has a recyclable symbol), pizza boxes of any kind, wrapping paper, straws, clothes hangers (metal ones can go into the scrap metal bin), shredded paper, and Styrofoam. Lids can be left on containers. Paper carton milk/juice containers should be flattened and put in with the paper/cardboard. You can leave the plastic pour spout attached. Notwithstanding the don’ts above, any plastic with a triangle recycle symbol is recyclable, regardless of the number listed on the symbol. No triangle – no recycle. Anything with a cord attached goes to electronics. Pots/pans go to the scrap metal bin. There is a new recycling bin for any sort of fabric, clothing, belts, and shoes. Batteries and light bulbs go into bins in the utility room.

Kandra Hughes spoke next about Norfstroms. In 2019, the Norfolk NET organization began renting a storage container for the transfer station. This is a place where you can leave or take gently-used items rather than throwing them out. To get folks used to Norfstroms and to guide what sort of stuff to leave, Norfstroms was initially staffed by volunteers on Saturdays in the summer of 2019. It is now completely self-serve and always open when the transfer station is open. Even if the door is shut, you are welcome to go in to do some holiday shopping – no credit card required. Norfolk Net ask that no clothes, books, furniture, dirty, or broken items be left. They discourage leaving anything bigger than a microwave. Any unwanted large items Norfolk Net must pay to put in bulky waste, which comes out of their limited operating funds. Kandra Hughes suggested taking furniture to Habitat for Humanity in North Canaan, books to the library, clothes to the UCC church clothes closet, broken items to the trash, and please clean off the grime. You can also put photos of large items you want to give away on the gift board at the Hub.