Recently I spent some time at the landfill doing some survey work and got a little more up close and personal than I normally do in my daily work to the landfilled trash. I couldn’t help but notice how the appearance of the trash has changed compared to the time before recycling started in 1990. Back in the late 1980s, the landfill had a brown look to it because of the large quantity of cardboard that was being disposed of at that time.
With the introduction of recycling and the ban on the landfilling of wood, the landfill looks much different today with lots of orange Pay As You Throw bags and many other colors of plastic bags along with commercial waste, which is not in bags. There is essentially no cardboard in the landfill today and much less newspaper, magazines, office paper, cans, and plastics than there used to be.
Despite our “better looking” trash over the last two decades, there is still room for improvement. My attention was drawn to many items that were discarded that perhaps did not necessarily have to be thrown away and could have been used by others.
The State of Maine has adopted a list that places the different aspects of waste management in priority that is known as the solid waste hierarchy. The hierarchy is as follows with the preferred methods listed first: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Compost, Incinerate and Landfill. Notice that one of the methods of handling waste that is even more preferred than recycling is reuse. Before you throw something away that still has value, ask yourself if it can be reused.
Presque Isle and the surrounding area are fortunate to have three excellent thrift stores that accept donated goods that are then sold for low prices. The thrift stores are Threads of Hope (a Catholic Charities Maine store) on Davis Street, The Cubby Thrift Store at 260 Main Street, and Threads to Breads at 515 Main Street. Depending on the specific store, funds received from the sale of donated items are used for food for the hungry in Aroostook County, expenses related to children with life threatening illnesses, and assisting the homeless.
Instead of filling the landfill with items that can be given a second chance, why not donate those items for a good cause? And it only gets better. If you have a significant amount of material, the stores will pick up your items. Be sure to call in advance so that the store can schedule the pickup. Also, depending on the particular store, they may provide a receipt for the value of the donation that can be used as a deduction on your income taxes.
If you drop your items off at the store, please do so during their hours of operation. Leaving items during non-business hours could lead to damaged goods that will have to be thrown away, if they get rained on. There are some minor differences between the stores, so check with them about specific items that they will or will not accept. For example, you may be surprised to learn that clothing that is torn or missing buttons is accepted at Threads of Hope at long as it is laundered and has no mold or mildew. Clothing that is not acceptable for resale will be sold as a feedstock that will recycled into a new filler material for various products.
Save the landfill for what really needs to go there: items that cannot be recycled or reused. Visit the thrift stores or give them a call to see if you can donate your unwanted items to raise funds to help your neighbors. If you have questions about recycling, please contact the Solid Waste Division at 760-2712.
Dana H. Fowler, P.E., is public services director for the city of Presque Isle. He can be reached at 760-2707 or via email at dfowler@presqueisleme.us.
