Sustainability Committee

Sustainability Committee Members

Membership                                                                                            
  • Alison Anholt-White, Chair, 2024
  • Susan Henderson, 2025
  • Louisa Mackintosh, 2025
  • John Croft, 2026 
  • Anna O'Leary, Student Rep.
  • Nadia Wetzler, 2024
SUSCOM wave logo no text (3)

IT’S TIME TO COMPOST IN SPRING 2023!
According to recent information from the Manchester Board of Selectmen, in
2019 we saved over $13,000 in trash processing fees through our composting
program.

Food is heavy! Instead of trashing it, put food scraps—including meat and
bones, food-soiled paper towels, and used pizza boxes—in the green bin. Contact Black Earth Compost to get or replace your green compost bin. See their website for more information here. 

To help keep your bin clean, you can use doubled brown paper bags to line it.
Or you can purchase compostable green bin liners from Black Earth Compost,
and smaller, countertop compostable bag liners from Crosby’s.

Black Earth will also pick up textiles, such as clothing, shoes, and towels. Put
textiles in a white plastic bag and leave the bag next to your compost bin (on
dry days only).

Check out Black Earth’s website at https://blackearthcompost.com/createaccount/
We’re aiming for 100% participation in this wonderful program. Let’s get
those green bins curbside!

We currently have two vacancies on our board. Click here to fill out a volunteer application. 

Your Town Sustainability Committee

Helpful Links

Water Usage & Conservation Tips
Outdoor Water Conservation Tips
MA Recycling Guidelines
Black Earth - What Can I Compost?

Related Documents

Final Net Zero Municipal Operations Plan from MAPC

Final Coastal Vulnerability Action Plan June 2023

Sustainability Committee Mission

CHARGE: The Sustainability Committee is charged with advising the Board of Selectmen on
strategies and initiatives aimed at reducing negative environmental impacts of Town activities.
The goal is to lighten the ecological footprint of the community and to put into place more
sustainable practices.

Current and future initiatives include but are not limited to: curbside composting, recycling and
overall waste reduction, transfer station management, water conservation, and management of
bio-solids. The Committee will seek to engage the community through public forums,
educational materials and other means of raising awareness.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: Up to 7 members of the community will be appointed by the
Board of Selectmen to serve on the Committee. Members shall serve for three year terms.
Initial terms for some shall be shorter in order to establish staggered terms.

SCHEDULE: The Committee shall meet a minimum of 6 times per year. Regular updates of
the Committee’s work shall be provided to the Board of Selectmen. The initial formation of the
committee shall occur in July of 2017, with appointments made every June

PROCESS: As a formal committee to the Board of Selectmen, the Sustainability Committee
shall adhere to the commonwealth’s open meeting law requirements. A quorum of 4 is needed
for the committee to meet to conduct business. All meetings shall be properly posted, minutes
kept of the proceedings and materials made available to the public. Staff support will be
provided primarily through the Department of Public Works.