To the editor:

Despite your recent article citing old figures for North Shore towns' recycling efforts, Hamilton knows it is ahead of most towns by reducing its waste by half in the last five years.

Since the start of its recycling program, which allows only one 33-gallon trash bin, Hamilton's recycling rate is at 33 percent and rising, and has saved the town $70,000 in tipping fees in its first year.

Now the town is about to institute an organic waste recycling program that will further reduce its solid waste.

For a small fee ($6.25 per month), residents' kitchen and yard waste, including meat, bones and grass, will be picked up weekly and taken to Brick Ends Farm. In the spring they will have free access to all the compost they need from the farm. The town schools will also benefit with a donation from Brick Ends of half its tipping fee for the organic waste brought in by the program.

With 28 neighborhood captains recruiting, more than 125 families have signed up so far.

The Recycle Committee is aiming for 500; and if the bottle bill passes, it expects a grant from the DEP that will allow them to give free 13-gallon toters and 2-quart counter-top "scrap" collectors to all participants.

To sign up and/or help with recruiting, the Recycle Committee is asking people to call the Hamilton Trash Hot Line at 978-468-5515 or sign up at Town Hall or the library by the end of September.

Gretel Clark

Hamilton