Politics & Government

A Shelter for the 'Swap' Area at Medfield Landfill

Volunteers will investigate options for erecting a temporary shelter at the landfill site.

The "swap" area of the landfill will get a temporary, seasonal structure to hold some of the more desirable castoffs, Medfield officials agreed Tuesday.

The swap area is a space where people can drop off unwanted items, and where others can go to find some freebies. The area is managed by a team of key volunteers, who are there from 9 a.m. to clean-up time at 3 p.m. At day's end, many items are tossed because there is no structure to store unclaimed goods.

Some of the materials left over go to the Medfield Animal Shelter, Savers or Goodwill, said volunteer Bob Swanson, speaking to Medfield Selectmen Tuesday night. Volunteers also try to deliver leftover books to the town library.

But a temporary structure will allow some of the better drop-offs, like couches and dinette sets, to be stored up to a few weeks to allow people to browse. The intention isn't to set up a thrift store, said organizers, but to protect some of the better recycled items from the weather.

The swap area saves the town money, Swanson said, because it keeps these materials out of the garbage. "We know that it saves the town money," he said. "We all love to recycle, reuse and renew."

The shelter for the area would need to be temporary, because the town needs to have access to the swap area of the landfill during the winter months for snow storage. The last day for the swap this year will be Nov. 10.

Selectmen and the Assistant Town Administrator Kristine Trierweiler agreed Tuesday that a temporary structure would be a good idea. Swap volunteers said they've already had someone in town offer the use of an old carport.

SWAP officials also were encouraged by Selectman Richard DeSorgher to contact Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School, to see if students there would be interested in building a temporary structure.


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