'Garbage Czar': Greenwich native a recycling pioneer

Former Greenwich resident Briggs Baugh, who recently won the Recycling Pioneer award from the Connecticut Recyclers Coalition for his decades of service, is seen at his home in Stamford. Baugh, who makes sculptures out of recyclables, was the first chairman of the Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board.

Though nearly four decades have passed since then-Greenwich resident Briggs Baugh spearheaded the town's recycling program, he said his friends still hail him as the uncontested "garbage czar."

Settling into his armchair amid clutter of a week's recyclable goods awaiting pickup, the bespectacled Baugh, now living in Stamford, recounted Earth Day 1970 as the genesis of his commitment to the environment. At the request of the first selectman, he coordinated a humble volunteer effort that year to recycle cans and paper goods in collaboration with Greenwich High School, then translated it into a mission for town recycling.

"The thing about pioneers is that, when you're ahead of the pack, you get arrows in your back," said Baugh. "When I started advocating for recycling, my friends thought I was a nutcase because recycling hadn't yet appeared on the scene."

Though his labors to develop a recycling program were a "frequent uphill battle," said Mary Hull, executive director of Greenwich Green & Clean and a longtime friend, Baugh eventually helped his hometown become one of the state's best recycling communities.

The Connecticut Recyclers Coalition, which educates and advocates for improved recycling, recently honored Baugh's achievements with its Recycling Pioneer award.

"He was very creative and ahead of his time," Hull said. "He was really an innovator who was doing stuff that no one had thought of before. People said recycling would never happen, but he got people excited about the future."

One of his most significant contributions was his formation of the Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board, which created a drop-off center for recyclables and continues as an advocate for the town's environment. He served as its first chairman and published its quarterly newsletter, "GRAB Bag," which explained the process of recycling after 1987 state legislation made it mandatory. He also negotiated a deal with Marcal Paper Mills to form a mixed paper drive that saved the town over $1 million, he said.

"Greenwich has tended to be a forerunner in recycling," said current board Chairman Sally Davies, who cited Baugh as a driving force behind innovation in the town's recycling. "One of the amazing things about Briggs is that he is as excited about recycling as he was 40 years ago. He has such enthusiasm."

The town's recycling program now continues to modernize, having switched last August to a single-stream system in which all recyclable goods are mixed into a collection truck and sorted at a resource recovery facility.

Patrick Collins, assistant superintendent at the Holly Hill facility, said single-stream has nearly doubled recycling in Greenwich -- 977 tons were collected from blue bins this February, compared to 527 tons in February 2011.

Baugh said he is heartened by how his successors have continued his mission of sustainable living. "There is a greater appreciation for the treasure of our planet."

Baugh exercises his enthusiasm for recycling at home by leaf composting in his backyard and creating art from recycled bottle caps.

"At his house, you can't eat at his dining room table because it is full of recycled products that he doesn't want to throw away," Hull said, laughing.

While Baugh never anticipated becoming a leader in Greenwich recycling, he said he eagerly took on the role when he realized that his plans had the potential to significantly reduce waste and do a service to the environment.

"When there's a new idea, somebody has to be a voice for it," Baugh said.


Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Garbage-Czar-Greenwich-native-a-recycling-3547203.php#ixzz1uTiDvRNo