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Curbside Collection for Recyclables

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Starting in January of 2008, the City of Saco started collecting Single-Sort Recycling. What does this mean for the residents? Single-Sort means that instead of sorting your recyclable materials into two different carts, you now only need to use one cart. All of your materials can be mixed within the one cart and will be sorted later on at ecomaine. This does not effect the garbage collection in anyway. Both your garbage and your recycling will still be collected on the same day.

GENERAL TIPS

• Although collection is weekly, please wait until your cart is full before placing them out for collection
• To avoid being missed, place at the curb by 6 a.m.
• Garbage and recycling collected on same day. For the automated arm to work properly, allow 3 feet of clearance between your green trash cart and the brown cart.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT

• Paper and cardboard with heavy plastic attached (window envelopes are OK)
• Tissue paper
• Paper towels
• Waxed paper or waxed cardboard
• Styrofoam of any type (even though some Styrofoam may say that is #6 with the recycling logo, it is still unacceptable for the recycling.)
• Any container that held a hazardous substance
• Porcelain, ceramics or mirrors
• Windows, ovenware, lightbulbs

The above items should go into the GREEN CART along with other household garbage. More information about garbage collection is on our trash collection page.

The following items are acceptable for recycling collection:
	Paper and cardboard Newspapers, magazines, paper bags, residential mixed paper, telephone books, directories, corrugated cardboard, cereal boxes, cracker boxes, egg cartons, office paper and opened mail. Please flatten all boxes Please reduce all cardboard to no larger than 3' by 3'
	Bottles & cans Steel cans (food, aerosol, etc.), aluminum cans, sheets and foil, glass jars and bottles, clear and colored plastic bottles and jugs.
	Plastics The City of Saco can now accept #1 through #7 plastics; we can recycle any kind of plastic that you find a recycling symbol on with a number inside of it! #1 Plastic soda bottles and soap containers #2 Plastic milk jugs, water jugs, detergent bottles #3 Plastic packaging and some containers #4 Plastic packaging, some containers, typically plastic bags #5 Plastic take out containers, yogurt cups, cottage cheese tubs, butter tubs, some Tupperware #6 Plastic food packaging, take out containers, plastic cups, coffee cup lids #7 Plastic cosmetics containers, heavy duty water bottles, plates and cups

RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
Rechargeable batteries may be recycled at boxes in City Hall and at the Transfer Station. For more information about rechargeable batteries, follow this link.

BUILDING MATERIALS
Many leftover or discarded building materials that are still in good working order, such as doors, windows and lumber can be donated to Habitat for Humanity for resale in their Portland ReStore. The ReStore also accepts used appliances that are less than 7 years old. This is a great way to keep useful materials out of the landfill or incinerator. For more information, visit the Portland ReStore's web site.

RECYCLING CENTER
Recyclables may also be dropped off at the Recycling Center, 351 North Street, Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

How does recycling save us money?
Every pound we recycle is one less pound we bury or burn. Recycling means less mining, smelting, milling, less energy used in production. It means cleaner water and cleaner air because less pollution is created during manufacture.

Recycling pickup and garbage collection both cost money. The City pays a high price to dispose of waste. In contrast, the City does not have to pay to dispose of its recycling. By increasing the amount we recycle and reducing the waste we send to burn, we can save even more.

Why did the City switch to Single Sort Recycling?
One of the benefits to this program is that the recycling collection will be more user friendly. By providing an easier program to the residents, the only decision you need to make in your house is whether something is garbage and goes in the green cart or recycling and goes in the brown cart.

Also, instead of having the two different carts for recycling, there will only be one, which will allow the recycling collection truck to spend less time in front of each household.

The City started taking its garbage to ecomaine in July of 2007. Because we were under contract for our recyclables, we could not switch the recycling program until January, 2008. Ecomaine has spent 3.5 million dollars on the equipment that they use to sort the recyclable materials that they receive. This equipment actually sorts all of the materials by machinery except the # 2-7 plastics. The #2-7 plastics are sorted by hand.

If you have any questions about single-sort recycling please feel free to contact me at the Public Works Office at 282-1552 or by email at sbernier@sacomaine.org.