Benefits of Recycling
Mid-Coast Solid Waste’s recycling program is both environmentally friendly, and financially important to the community.
Encouraging recycling, rather than disposal, results in less landfill and saves the energy needed to mine deeper and deeper for materials. It also decreases the amount of material that needs to be burned off, as well as resulting in less money spent covering the cost of shipping excess material away for further processing.
The second financial benefit is that all revenues from the program go towards lowering our assessment to the tax base each year. Revenues in excess of expectations are carried forward into the new year’s budget. With these thoughts in mind, it makes total sense for everyone to be recycling. Well, we’ve changed a few things around over the last year. Most of this effort has been aimed at doing more with less; costing you, the taxpayer, less money.
Bins & Lineup Procedure
Mid-Coast Solid Waste’s recycling bins have been precisely setup and color-coded to make dropping off recyclable materials as straightforward as possible. Please note that you may pull your vehicle up on either the left or right side of the bin line; feel free to use whichever side is less crowded when you arrive, and please pull forward as far as you can to make room for other patrons.
Small Bins
The first few smaller bins are for redeemable cans and bottles, with proceeds going to the local Lions Club and the community.
The next set of small metal bins are for glass jars for diversion (both clear and colored glass accepted).
The third set of small bins are for mixed plastic products that are “numbered” for recycling. These will be numbered 1 or 3 through 7; please make sure to check the container for the proper markings, and please do not include styrofoam in this bin.
Larger Bins
The larger bins are color-coded:
1st Green Bin: #2 colored plastic. Laundry soap bottles, and all other plastics with the #2 mark. Colored HDPE plastic only.
Blue Bin: All natural plastic. HDPE milk and water jugs, or any other plastic that is opaque in nature, with no colors added.
Red Bin: Steel and aluminum cans; tinfoil; pie plates; and similar. Cans should be those that held food or beverages only.
Yellow Bin: Newspaper and magazines. No brown paper, please.
Black Bin: Mixed paper and box board.
Last 2 Green Bins: Corrugated cardboard and brown paper bags. Please removal all foam, and please break down your boxes.
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