After 22 years, Watertown’s Recycling Advisory Committee has been dissolved.
The decision to end the committee was made by the Town Council last week after the Public Works subcommittee recommended the move.
The Recycling Committee and officials in the Watertown Department of Public Works have disagreed about the goal of the committee since Watertown went to a single-stream recycling program, according to Councilor Cecilia Lenk, chair of the Public Works subcommittee.
Councilor Aaron Dushku worried about what will happen when issues around recycling arise.
“I think we need a place where recycling issues will be discussed in town,” Dushku said. “We need some way to convene residents who want to discuss recycling issues.”
Instead of having one committee for all issues around recycling, Lenk said it may be a better idea to have specialized committees to take on each issue.
“As the state makes regulations that discussion will happen,” Lenk said.
Councilor Susan Falkoff requested that the Town Council write a letter to the members of the Recycling Committee to thank them for their work.
Lenk said the committee has done a lot of good work.
“The fact that it went for 22 years is testament to how important the group has been in Watertown,” Lenk said.