PITTSFIELD – The town’s annual rate of recycling slipped backward slightly in 2006, although Recycling Coordinator Don Chute said Thursday it was an excellent trend.

Some simple math reflects that municipal recycling – the items like cans, glass and newsprint that Pittsfield gets paid for – is up slightly, while bulky recycling – white goods and wood chips that the town has to pay to get rid of – is down by 12 percent.

“This is not a bad thing,” Chute explained. “What we get paid for is up, what we pay out of pocket to get rid of is down.” Although the shift affects the rate negatively, it affects the cost of operating the recycling program in a positive way.

“It costs us $30 a ton just to get rid of wood chips,” Chute said. “This will actually save people a lot of money.”

Pittsfield’s rate last year was 61.31 percent, which still puts the town in the top 10 percent, Chute said. In 2005, the rate was 66 percent.

Further good news was that Pittsfield’s solid waste tonnage – the actual trash – increased by less than 1 percent compared to the state average of 4 percent.

Chute addressed Pittsfield’s Recycling Committee on Wednesday night, explaining that the trend is in the town’s favor and the recycling rate could be dramatically different for 2007.

“We could be at 90 percent,” Chute said. This would reflect local trash haulers taking their full loads directly to sites in Orrington or Norridgewock rather than dropping their loads at the Pittsfield transfer station.

“We will not be counting any of that as our trash,” Chute explained. But he admitted that detailing an accurate picture of the town’s recycling versus solid waste tonnage is going to be difficult. “We have no idea how much the haulers are taking away nor do we know how much of that is recycling,” he said.

That’s why the figures for 2007 will be computed only on what is brought to the Pittsfield transfer station, both trash and recycling.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the committee discussed an upcoming tree planting celebration. Pittsfield garnered a $4,090 Project Canopy grant from the Maine Forest Service that will provide nine mature trees, Town Manager Kathryn Ruth said, including four hawthorns, three yellowwoods and two lilacs.

“These trees were recommended to diversify the town’s tree inventory,” Ruth explained. “Currently, we have 70 percent maples.”

The tree walk and planting will be held on a Friday and Saturday, yet to be decided. The Friday will be dedicated to schoolchildren who will help plant the trees. Saturday will provide a time for adults and families to walk through the various parks accompanied by the town’s arborist, who will be available to answer questions.

Ruth said that local nurseries were having difficulty locating the trees in time for planting by Arbor Day, which would be the weekend of May 25.

Ruth said that if the plantings cannot be accomplished by June 1, the event will take place this fall.

In other business:

. The committee invited Carol Millett to participate in the fall community forum and hold a workshop on recycling paper items by scrapbooking and creating cards and gift tags.

. A series of posters promoting recycling were approved to be placed around town.

. Chute reported that good used clothing is now being picked up at the transfer station by a representative of KenASet of Waterville.

. Chute said that computer and television monitors, which once cost Pittsfield $12 to $25 to dispose of, are being disposed of at no cost. State legislation now requires the manufacturers to bear disposal costs for residential consumers. Chute suggested a new policy, however, since commercial businesses must still be charged for disposal of computers.