Brewer Curbside Recycling Program         

FAQ's about Recycling in Brewer
Recycling Update– Elm Street Drop-Off Center

When you recycle your clear and colored food and beverage glass, tinned-steel cans and aerosol cans, newspapers, magazines, and catalogs, you reduce the amount of trash produced by Brewer, Maine which saves money, and conserves on precious natural resources.

Thank You and keep up the good work!

When to recycle curbside in Brewer - Your recycling collection day is the first trash day of each month. Place your recyclables in your recycling bin and put it out on the curb before 7:00 am on the first trash day of each month. See below for complete cleaning requirements. If you have any questions, please call the Brewer Landfill and Recycling Area at 989-8433.

Why are we recycling?

1. On average, each American produces over 4 lbs. of trash a day - over 1,000 lbs. a year!

2. The City of Brewer, Maine generated over 17,500 tons of waste in 1994 - of which more than 3,000 tons were recovered. Brewer's 1994 total recovery rate was 28.2%!!!

3. Recycling one tin can into another tin can cuts energy use by 95% as compared to making this same can from virgin material.

4. To meet Maine's mandated recycling rate of 35%, Brewer must recover an additional 1,000 tons per year. Together we can do it!!!

Recycling Bins

1. Please put your address on your bins.

2. Units with four apartments or more will be included in this program at a later date.

3. Additional or replacement bins are available. Contact Brewer Landfill and Recycling Area at 989-8433 for more details.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

1. Be a waste watcher and trim your wasteline. Do your part to reduce your use, reuse what you produce, and recycle everything that you can!

2. Precycle: Shop with the environment in mind. Avoid over-packaging, buy in bulk, and bring your own bag.

3. Buy Recycled: You're not recycling unless you're buying recycled. Purchase goods packaged in or made from recycled materials.

Brewer's Drop-off Recycling Center
Brewer Landfill and Recycling Area - 989-8433
403 Elm Street, Brewer

Staff will be available to help with placement of the material. If you have any questions please call the Brewer Landfill and Recycling Area at 989-8433.

Waxless Corrugated Cardboard

1. FLATTENED cardboard ONLY - NO full form boxes

2. Cut large boxes into 2ft x 3ft pieces.

3. Stack loose next to your recycling bin for collection on the first trash day of each month.

4. DO NOT tie with string - NO foreign (yellowish) or beverage box/carton cardboard. Cereal and shoe box type cardboard goes with Boxboard.

"Maine Pack" Office Paper

1. "Maine Pack" includes newspaper / inserts; catalogs, magazines, phonebooks, and glossy paper; Junk Mail ONLY IF it is not brown and it has no plastic wrapping.

2. Collect these materials together in a brown bag in your bin.

3. Collect these materials in the proportions in which you receive them.

4. Put your recycling bin out for collection on the first trash day of each month.

Narrow Neck #2 Clear and Colored Plastic Bottles

1. Remove lids / rings / spouts, rinse, and crush. Typically #2's are detergent, milk, shampoo, and soap bottles.

2. Collect clear and colored #2 plastics separately.

3. Must be delivered to Brewer's Recycling Center on Elm Street.

4. NO automotive / hazardous containers, film plastic or plastic bags. NO OTHER TYPES OF PLASTICS.  NO wide-mouthed food containers (yogurt, butter tubs, etc.) even if #2 plastic.

Clear and Colored Glass Food/Beverage Bottles and Jars

1. Rinse the bottles and jars. Remove the tops and metal or plastic rings from the necks and discard.

2. Labels do not need to be removed.

3. Collect glass in your bin.

4. DO NOT collect light bulbs, plate glass, drinking glass, china, mirrors, broken glass or ceramics for Brewer's Curbside Recycling program. ONLY GLASS FOOD & BEVERAGE BOTTLES AND JARS.

5. Put your recycling bin out for collection on the first trash day of each month.

Tin Cans

1. Rinse tin cans. Aerosol cans must be empty!

2. Crushing / flattening is not necessary.

3. Labels can remain attached.

4. DO NOT collect scrap metal, aerosol cans that contained hazardous materials, automotive product cans, aluminum plates, pie tins, or tin foil for Brewer's Curbside Recycling program.

5. Put your recycling bin out for collection on the first trash day of each month.

RECYCLE IT, DON'T THROW IT AWAY!

Further questions? Please call Brewer Landfill and Recycling Area at 989-8433.

The 3 R's, Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

Brewer Landfill and Recycling Area - 989-8433
403 Elm Street, Brewer