Even if you don’t go to Town Meeting, you’re probably aware of the recent talk about banning water bottles and allowing clothes lines here in town, both of which might lead you to believe that Concord cares about its impact on the environment. Well, did you know that we are so eco-conscious that we have two solar trash compactors in town?
My daughter alerted me to the first one — she saw it in front of , on Thoreau Street. I saw the second one, over by the in West Concord. I was so intrigued I had to call the Concord Public Works to get the skinny. I talked to Rod, who told me that these two units were negotiated in the contract extension with Waste Management at no additional cost, and were installed last October. He said that the real benefit and beauty of these babies is that the solar compactor, which is about the size of a U.S. mailbox, has a thirty-gallon container, and that it packs the equivalent of five times the trash of a regular trashcan. That means the driver doesn’t need to empty it as often, which reduces our carbon footprint.
And the whole compacting thing is done with solar power. Pretty nifty, eh? There’s a little light to indicate how full the compactor is — green means it’s operational, yellow means it’s starting to get full, and red is... well, you can figure that out. According to Rod, the town would love to have more of these, but they’re costly, so they’ve got their eyes peeled for grant funding.
Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
If you happen to pass either of these, take a look, because Anna, the assistant to the director of the CPW, designed the town-related graphics wrapping the compactors. So they’re attractive as well as functional.
I’m pretty pleased by our forward-thinking town employees, and happy to see us supporting such a green effort.
Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Pearly Whites
I just had my biannual dental visit — I really love how clean my teeth feel after — and once again, no cavities. Yes, I brush and floss and try to keep my teeth generally pretty healthy, but I also probably should thank the Concord Public Works Department. Did you know that their Water Division was recently commended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for consistently and professionally adjusting the water fluoride content to the optimum level for oral health over a 12-month period? Well, neither did I!
No matter how old you are, fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay, as well as improves your overall oral health. And good oral health is critical to overall health, including heart health. So it really is important to keep those pearly whites healthy, and consistently using high-quality fluoridated water goes a long way in that effort.
Next time you get the high sign from your dentist, thank the CPW.
Do you have something you would like to share? Contact me at stefanieac@comcast.net or Maureen at mcb23@comcast.net, and we will be happy to help you spread the good news.
