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Residential Recycling Program
The curbside collection program has changed from five pre-sorted items to combining all recyclable items together. No more sorting at home, just mix all recylable items together in your blue box and put it curbside. This mixing together is called single stream recycling. We will also be significantly expanding the list of items we collect curbside. We plan to add paperboard (cereal/shoe boxes, soda/beer cartons for example). We will expand our plastic container collection to include #1 thru #7 containers. For a complete and printable list of all our recycling items (PDF document).
With the change to a single stream recycling program the collected recyclables will be delivered by our trucks to Pine Tree Waste's facility in West Bath. They will then be transported to a sorting facility in Auburn, MA. We will be closing down our own recycling processing facility at Public Works. We still have one container here at Public Works for residents to drop off recycling items (available 24/7) but our processing center will be closed and no longer staffed.
Frequently Asked Recycling Questions
We have received a few questions about the expanded recycling program and would like all to know the following:
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We will continue to collect recyclables curbside with our two trucks.
- Recyclables all go in the blue box, no need to separate. Do not put recyclables in the special Brunswick bags or put recyclables in any type plastic bag (plastic bags are not recyclable). The special Brunswick bags are only for trash.
- Stryofoam (expanded polystyrene) is not acceptable for recycling, even if it has a number 6 inside the triangular chasing arrow. Please do not include any styrofoam products in with your recyclables (examples of unacceptable styrofoam material include Dunkin Donut coffee cups, Hannaford yellow meat trays as well as the usual white formed styrofoam used in packing of appliances and electronics). Styrofoam items in your recycling mix will mean we can't collect any of your recycling until you remove the styrofoam. Styrofoam may be put in with your rubbish in the approved Brunswick bags.
- Cardboard boxes must still be flattened so they will fit in our truck bins. Besides flattening large boxes we ask you to fold them as necessary so they are no more than 4 feet by 4 feet.
- If you have a question about whether or not a certain item is recyclable please call the Pine Tree Waste help line at 1-888-857-0800 and ask for Customer Service. They will let you know whether or not the material you describe is recyclable.
- The blue box we previously gave to all residents should weigh no more than 40 pounds when filled with recyclables. If you have more material to recycle, which we hope you will, we ask you to use additional containers but be sure the containers are not too large or exceed 40 pounds. Our two recycling truck drivers have about 500 stops per day to make. In concern for their safety we need everyone's help in not overloading a single container. A good rule of thumb is that if you feel uncomfortable and strained carrying the blue box to the curb, it is probably too heavy.
- If you don't have a blue box at your residence you may come to Public Works during our regular hours (7:00 am to 3:30 pm weekdays) and we will give you a blue box. If you want a second container we are only able to give one blue box per household. You may use other plastic containers and we recommend they not exceed an 18 gallon size. We do have "Recycle It" bumper stickers avaible here (free) if you want to put them on your other recycling containers.
- The recycling processing building is closing at Public Works. We will have one container at Public Works for residents to drop-off their recycling. Since we are collecting all items we recycle at the curb, we prefer residents put their material curbside and not bring their recyclables to Public Works. With the closing of the building we have no staff available to handle recyclables at Public Works. Our curbside collection trucks will go directly to the PTW facility in West Bath to empty each day.
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"Recycle It" Stickers
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Free "Recycle It" stickers are available to attach to your extra recycling containers. The stickers are at Town Hall, Public Works and the Graham Road Landfill. We recommend you apply the stickers to any additional containers you use to place your recycling curbside. This will let our driver's quickly know the container has recyclables and you want to save the container.
Commercial Recycling Program
When we switch to the single stream program and close down our recycling processing facility on January 22nd we will no longer be able to accept recycling from businesses here at Public Works. Businesses will need to deliver their recyclables to the Pine Tree Waste facility at 64 AJ Reno Road, West Bath (or a vendor of their choice). Commercial users will no longer be permitted to bring recycling items to Public Works or the Graham Road Landfill (the drop off container will only be for residential users). Commercial recycling materials from Brunswick businesses will be accepted at the PTW facility at no charge. Vehicles bringing commercial recycling will have to be weighed in at the facility prior to dumping. Currently the PTW facility in West Bath is open Monday thru Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Directions to PTW West Bath Facility: Head east on Bath Road towards Bath from Cooks Corner going past Walmart and Lowe's and continue on across the New Meadows River Bridge into West Bath. Continuing on go through the Foster's Point Road intersection (flashing traffic light) and 0.6 mile past the intersection is AJ Reno Road on the left. It is marked by a green and white Pine Tree Waste sign and the left turn is just as you head up Witch Spring Hill after OHA on the right. Proceed down AJ Reno Road approximately 1/4 mile and it ends at the PTW facility on the right. Stay right and go around the office trailer and then pull slowly onto the scales. Check in with the weighmaster in the building on the right.
Commercial Landfill Rate Changes
The disposal rates at the Graham Road Landfill have been reduced in several areas for commercial users. The disposal rates have been lowered for the following separated items; Metals/White Goods, Waste Wood, Asphalt Shingles, Masonry, Unused Sheetrock.
FMI on Commercial Landfill Disposal Rates as of 1/22/2007 (PDF document)
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Pay By
the Bag
Rubbish
Program
Bags Are Now
on Sale!!
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Don't Get Green Tagged!
Use the Brunswick Bag!
The program has begun so you need to use the Brunswick bags for your trash.
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If you don't use the Brunswick bag your trash will be tagged and left curbside. Help us out and use the approved bags, thank you.
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The curbside rubbish collection program will require all residential household waste to be placed in special "Brunswick Bags". The Brunswick Hannaford and Shaw's supermarkets now have the bags on sale. We have asked a number of other local stores to participate and below is the current list of all participating stores who will be offering the Brunswick bag for sale. We have two sizes of bags, a 33 gallon bag and a 15 gallon bag, both sizes will have a drawstring. The large bags are $1 per bag and the smaller bags cost $0.50 per bag. The bags will only be sold in rolls for $5.00 (containing five 33 gallon bags or ten 15 gallon bags). Starting the week of January 22, 2007 only rubbish placed in these special color and labeled bags will be collected. Waste not in the approved Brunswick bag or loose in rubbish cans will not be collected.
Stores Currently Selling Brunswick Bags
A number of local stores have been contacted to sell the bags. The current list of participating stores who now have the bags in stock and for sale are:
- Brunswick Hannaford Store, Maine St. (FYI, bags are at the registers, you have to ask for them when you check out.)
- Brunswick Shaw's Store, Merrymeeting Plaza, Bath Road. (FYI, bags .)
- Morning Glory Natural Foods, 60 Maine St.
- Downeast Building Supply, 18 Spring St.
- Bath Road Puffin Stop, 101 Bath Rd.
- Libby's Market, 42 Jordan Ave.
- Cumberland Farms, 88 Pleasant St.
- Cumberland Farms, 190 Bath Rd.
The Brunswick bags are in a roll with a clear plastic sleeve, they are not in a box.
For information on becoming a retailer for these bags.
Frequently Asked Rubbish Collection Questions
We have received a few questions about this program and would like all to know the following:
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You may still use your existing trash can (max size/weight 32 gallons/40 pounds) providing all rubbish put in the can is placed in Brunswick bags.
- If you wish, you may use a regular trash bag and then put that bag inside a special Brunswick bag. You do not have to do this double bagging but several folks have asked us if it is okay to do.
- Each large bag (33 gallons) should contain no more than 40 pounds of waste. Each small bag (15 gallons) should contain no more that 25 pounds of waste.
- Curbside collection remains only for weekly household trash. Appliances, carpet, furniture, bulky items, leaves, brush, remodelling debris, old computers, etc. must be brought to the landfill for disposal. Even if any of these type items do fit in a Brunswick bag, they will not be collected curbside. Residents are also still limited to putting curbside no more than four 32 gallon containers of rubbish per week.
- If you are currently living in a condo complex that is serviced by the Town's rubbish collector and the complex has containers (dumpsters) you will still need to put your rubbish in a Brunswick bag and then in the container.
- There will be no grace period to start this program. You must begin using the Brunswick bag the week of January 22, 2007.
- The two Brunswick bag sizes are for the convenience of our different size household users. You may use either or both sizes as best suits your needs.
- You may bring your rubbish to our landfill without buying the bags but you will be charged a disposal fee at the landfill (see landfill cost changes below).
- The Brunswick bags will only be available for purchase at local stores and the Town will not have any bags for sale at Town offices.
- If you have an issue with the trash bags as regards a defect in workmanship or quality we ask you to contact our bag manufacturer, Phoenix Recycling, directly at 1-800-866-3954.
- Universal Waste is cited in our listings as not acceptable for recycling or rubbish collection. A number have asked what exactly is "Universal Waste"? It is any mercury containing item and the common ones are: TV's, computer monitors (CRT type), fluorescent light bulbs, mercury thermometers and thermostats containing a mercury vial. Universal waste is accepted at our landfill from a resident. Please keep universal waste items separate from other waste items and handle them carefully to avoid breakage.
Residential Costs at Landfill
With the new pay by the bag collection program the costs for residents to dispose of rubbish at the Graham Road Landfill will be changed. Currently residents may dispose up to 200 pounds of household rubbish at no charge. With the new program residents will have to pay a minimum charge of $5.00 per load for any type rubbish they bring to the landfill (actual charge based on weight of load at a cost of $80/ton). We would not expect or want residents to use the Brunswick bag for the rubbish they bring to the landfill. The cost of the bag that you pay is for the collection cost and does not cover the disposal fee. The new residential disposal rates as of January 22nd will be:
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Household Rubbish: $80.00 per ton, $5.00 minimum charge
- Metal/White Goods: $60.00 per ton, $3.00 minimum charge
- Waste Wood: $60.00 per ton, $3.00 minimum charge
- Asphalt Shingles: $60.00 per ton, $3.00 minimum charge
- Sheetrock: $60.00 per ton, $3.00 minimum charge
- Masonry: $60.00 per ton, $3.00 minimum charge
- Brush/Trees: No Charge (current rate)
FMI on Residential Landfill Access and Disposal Rates as of 1/22/2007 (PDF document)
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