1. How is garbage currently collected in Saco?
2. Why is the City of Saco changing its program?
3. What is "automated" collection?
4. How do we know that this system can work?
5. What will change with the new system?
6. Timeline

1. Instructions
2. "Overflow" Waste

1. Larger Households
2. Smaller Cans
3. Private Roads, Fire Lanes, Unapproved Sub-divisions
4. Apartment Buildings
5. Narrow Streets
6. Condominiums and Mobile Homes
7. Seasonal Rentals

1. Current Program
2. Why is the City changing the recycling program?
3. What changes are planned for the recycling program?
4. What should I do with my old containers?
5. Timeline

EXCEPTIONS FOR RECYCLING CARTS
6. Private Roads
7. Apartment Buildings
8. Special Needs
9. Space Problems

This shows an example of a collection truck with a mechanical arm next to a cart.

2. Why is the City of Saco changing its program?
The City's goal is to save its taxpayers' money by switching to a more efficient collection system. The new system actually reduces costs for collection. And as we increase recycling rates, we can save even more money by reducing the amount of waste we send for incineration or disposal.

Saco city officials meet with the public works department in Goffstown, N.H.

4. How do we know that this system can work?
Across America and Canada, automated trash collection works successfully in cities of all sizes. Recently several staff, council and community members visited the Public Works Department in Goffstown, New Hampshire. The purpose was to learn first-hand about its automated trash collection system. Goffstown closely resembles Saco in size (road miles), population, and trash output. It has realized huge savings in labor and workers compensation claims since switching to automated collection.

Through research the City discovered that communities that have switched to automated collection report the following improvements:

• lower collection costs (fewer drivers, shorter time spent per individual collection)

• cleaner streets (less mess, litter)

• improved sanitation (trash is protected from rodents, dogs and birds)

• safer work conditions, fewer injuries (driver stays in vehicle)

• increased recycling when accompanied by garbage limitations

Wheeled carts such as the one pictured above will be used for trash collection.

5. What will change with the new system?
The City of Saco will provide a wheeled cart to every eligible household to use for weekly garbage collection. All single family, duplex, and multi-family dwellings (up to and including six units) are eligible.

The cart will remain property of the City and will have serial numbers for address identification. A list will be kept of the serial numbers assignments to each address. This will assist us in locating missing carts.

Each garbage cart holds a capacity of up to 65 gallons and should not be filled to a gross weight of more than 150 pounds. You'll be required to set your household garbage out in the cart instead of using bags or other containers. Instructions on how to use your cart will be delivered with it.

2. "Overflow" Waste

Is all my garbage supposed to fit into the cart?
YES. All the garbage a household places out for collection must fit into the cart provided to you by the City. Any garbage that does not fit into the cart is considered "Overflow" and will not be picked up with regular garbage collection.

What if I have "Overflow"?
Households can dispose their "Overflow" at the City's Transfer Station using a Transfer Station permit, available at Saco City Hall. You are allowed up to 3 cubic yards of bulky items or trash. Transfer Station materials and "Overflow" waste in excess of three cubic yards can be disposed of at the Transfer Station for a fee of $20 per cubic yard.

You can also take up to 3 cubic yards of brush and an unlimited quantity of leaves and grass clippings to the Transfer Station for free. Once your permit limit is met, the fee for brush disposal is $6 per cubic yard.

Limited amounts of overflow waste will be collected following the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday "Overflow"
The City has scheduled special collection days for "Overflow" following the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. On the first scheduled pickup day immediately following Thanksgiving and Christmas, residents may set out up to two (2) bags of "Overflow" per household unit.

What should I do with my old containers?
You may want to keep your former trash containers to store leaves and yard debris. You have until June 30, 2003 to bring the old trash containers to the transfer station. The City will recycle as many as possible.

What if a cart is damaged?
The carts are under a ten-year warranty and damaged carts should be reported to the City. The City will replace a cart that is damaged through unavoidable circumstances and not due to negligence by the household.

Color-coded carts similar to the example above will be supplied for recycling.

3. What changes are planned for the recycling program?
Saco households will receive color-coded, wheeled carts for their recyclables. The recycling carts will remain property of the City and will have serial numbers for address identification. A list will be kept of the serial numbers assignments to each address. This will assist us in locating missing carts.

The larger, 65-gallon size cart is intended for paper products, which include cardboard, newspapers, magazines, cereal boxes and junk mail. It will probably be blue.

The smaller, 35-gallon cart is intended to hold commingled containers, which include glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and jugs, and metal cans. It will be a different color than the trash or fiber cart. Containers may be set out for weekly collection.

It saves time and money households wait until a container is nearly full or at least half full before setting out for pickup. Since our goal is to increase recycling, we encourage residents to use their judgment and do what works best for them.