Winterport pushes recycling efforts> Residents can expect higher solid waste costs unless practice is resumed

WINTERPORT — The town office is asking residents to improve their attitude toward recycling.

Town Manager Leo LaChance said Tuesday that unless residents resume the recycling practices of past years, they can expect higher solid waste costs in next year’s budget. LaChance said recycling is one area where residents can help hold the line on taxes.

“We’re transporting a lot more waste this year then the year before,” LaChance said. “Unless we do better, we might be looking at exceeding our budget if we don’t tighten up. We have a lean solid waste budget as it is.”

The town appropriated $158,570 for solid waste in this year’s budget and LaChance is worried that the money might dry up before the end of the July-to-June fiscal year. The last thing the board of selectmen want, he said, is to call a special town meeting sometime this spring to ask voters for more money for solid waste.

LaChance said the town has started handing out leaflets at the transfer station to alert residents of the situation. Besides pointing out the need to recycle more, the fliers also warn that the town may be forced to start charging for each bag of trash to help alleviate the growing cost. Other towns promote recycling by placing a fee on trash disposal.

“What we’re saying is let’s go back to the old habits, let’s recycle more. This is a cost that can be controlled,” he said.

LaChance said in years past the town averaged about one large dumpster of trash for each day the transfer station was open. But that one container can no longer handle the daily accumulation of trash. When that occurs, the town has to call its crew back to work and order another container to handle the excess trash.

“Lately it’s been a dumpster and a half a day,” LaChance said. “It’s an added cost and one we really can’t afford.”

The town tracks its recyclables by weight and this year’s totals are lower than the previous year, LaChance said. The town recycles newspapers, magazines, cardboard, glass, plastic, tin cans, used clothing, appliances and furniture.

The potential for an increase in the solid waste budget comes at a time when the town is about to begin renegotiating its contract with PERC. LaChance said the town has already notified the company of its intent to keep using its facility. He said the selectmen will be meeting with representatives from the neighboring towns of Monroe and Frankfort in the coming months in hopes of developing a joint effort on solid waste.

“We certainly hope they will be working with us on solid waste disposal,” he said.