BREWER – Residents accustomed to throwing out plastic milk jugs, spring water jugs and laundry detergent bottles in curbside recycling boxes that are picked up once a month in Brewer are being advised by the city to stop the practice.

Ken Locke, director of environmental services, said the city’s trash collector, Pine Tree Waste Services, has stopped collecting No. 2 plastic such as that found in clear jugs as of July 1.

Residents may throw No. 2 plastics in the regular trash or bring the items to the city’s recyclable drop-off area on Elm Street, according to Locke.

The change in policy occurred when the city requested a contract extension with Pine Tree, he said.

Pine Tree Waste Services agreed to a two-year contract extension with the city of Brewer but inserted the “no No. 2 plastic” stipulation because it is both costly and inefficient for the company to keep up with the service, according to Locke.

The hard plastic jugs are bulky and big and fill up trucks faster. Pine Tree drivers have to make extra trips to empty their bins, which is considered inefficient by the company. The trucks travel to the Bangor regional recycling facility on the Maine Road near Bangor International Airport.

The practice of not picking up No. 2 plastic will continue until at least June 30, 2005, when the contract ends.

“We’ll be going out for a new contract for refuse collecting and recycling in early 2005 that will start July 1, 2005, and that contract will have No. 2 plastic in it,” Locke said.

Locke said his department had received quite a few calls from residents complaining about the change.

City officials expressed regret at the relatively late notice of the change in the curbside recyclable collection program.