Starting Oct. 17, residents will see changes in plastics recycling at the Mid-Coast Solid Waste transfer station in Rockport. Interim Manager Beth Kwiatkowski asks that residents take notice of the new bins and signs on their next trip to the facility. Attendants will be available for assistance at the facility
Number “2” plastic will continue to be collected in separate bins as usual.
Number “1” plastic will be collected in a separate bin for the first time, starting Oct. 17. In the past, number “1” plastic was mixed with numbers 3-7.
Numbers 3-7 plastic, up to five gallons in size, will be collected together in another bin. Bags, film, flexible packaging and Syrofoam cannot be recycled.
Due to changes in the recycling market, number “1” plastic that is separated from other types of plastic can be sold to earn revenue for MCSW. The sales of number “2” plastic continue to earn revenue as well. Revenues from the sale of recyclables help pay for the cost of solid waste disposal, and lower the costs for residents of the participating towns of Camden, Rockport, Lincolnville and Hope.
MCSW will continue to route numbers 3-7 mixed plastics to a recycling facility, and the transfer station will pay a disposal fee for the material. While numbers 3-7 plastics no longer generate revenue, the disposal cost is less than the cost of trash disposal fees, according to Kwiatkowski.
The changes allow MCSW to adapt to a changing market for recyclables that can shift daily, according to the MCSW Board of Directors.
MCSW is committed to providing a sustainable recycling operation that is designed to maximize diversion of recyclable materials. The Mid-Coast Solid Waste Board of Directors and the staff of the facility are working toward setting goals that support the Solid Waste hierarchy and recycling goals of the State of Maine.
To read the full story, visit https://knox.villagesoup.com/p/changes-in-recycling-plastic-at-mid-coast-solid-waste/1695964.