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FAQ's about Recycling in Brewer
Q. What options are available for Brewer citizens to recycle?
A. 1. Curbside recyclables are picked up City wide the first week of
each month during the regularly scheduled refuse pickup. Recycling bins
are available no charge at the Public Works Dept.
2. If you miss the curbside pickup or if you need
to dispose of your recyclables more often than once per month. Beginning July 1,
2000, a temporary drop-off location will be available at the City’s
Contraction Demolition Debris Landfill (CDD) on Elm Street. Staff will be available to help with
placement of the material. If you have any questions please call
Brewer Landfill and Recycling Area at 989-8433.
Q. Why should Brewer citizens recycle?
A. 1. Reduces the City's cost of refuse collection.
2. Reduces the City's cost of disposal at PERC.
3. Prolongs the useful life of the City's
landfill.
Q. What materials can be recycled?
A. 1. Newspapers and magazines.
2. Glass, three colors, clear, brown, and green
3.
No. 2 plastics, milk jugs, Clorox and laundry bottles
if delivered to the Brewer Recycling Center on Elm Street.
4. Metals, tin, aluminum and bi-metal
5. Cardboard, corrugated only, no boxboard
Q. What materials cannot be recycled?
A. 1. Wide mouth #2 plastic, (the resin used in these products is
different from the #2 mentioned above)
2. Plastic grocery bags, (most stores will give customer
credit if customer re-uses bags)
3. Boxes that contained food (boxboard), cereal
and frozen food boxes. Currently, boxboard has no market value, and when
mixed with cardboard, it significantly decreases the value of the cardboard.
All of the City’s recyclables go to the Regional Recycling Center (RRC) in
Bangor where it’s prepared for marketing. It costs the City $25.00/ton for RRC
staff to sort, bundle and prepare the material for shipping. The marketing
organization that the Regional Recycling Center utilizes to sell the recycled
material is Maine Resource Recovery Association (MRRA). The City pays MRRA
$4.00/ton to market the recycled material, therefore it cost the City $29.00/ton
to process and prepare the recyclables for market. Any money generated from
selling the recycled material over above the $29.00 returns to the City as
revenue.
Currently, MRRA is trying to develop a new market, where boxboard and
cardboard could be mixed together and recycled. Once we get word that this
market has been developed we will inform Brewer residents in future editions of
the Beacon.
We know that many residents recycle boxboard and we regret any inconvenience
that not accepting the material may have caused. We also would like to thank you
for your patience while MRRA creates a market for mixed board.
If you have any questions please call Brewer Landfill and
Recycling Area at 989-8433.
4. #1 plastic, such as soda bottles that are
collected through the State bottle law
5. Office paper
6. Grass clippings and leaves at the Recycle
Center
Q. Why should Brewer citizens care about recycling?
A. Cost, money and taxes, for FY2000 the City budgeted $293,000 to pay for
refuse collection and disposal. The City pays for disposal by the ton,
less material delivered to PERC, lessens the disposal costs to the City.
Q. Where do the curbside recyclables go after pickup?
A. All recycled material is delivered to the Bangor Regional Recycling
Center for processing and marketing. Proceeds from the sale of the
recyclables helps reduce the approximate $29/ton processing and marketing costs.
Further questions? Please call Brewer
Landfill and Recycling Area
at 989-8433.
The 3 R's, Reduce - Reuse - Recycle
The Brewer Beacon, Spring 2000, Volume 1.1.
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