One man’s trash
By Orpheus Allison
Recovering resources! This is the new phrase guiding everyone today. How can we control the amount of material we throw away. To this end the communities in central Aroostook with the encouragement of the State have adopted the “Pay-as-you Throw” concept.
Every bag of trash has a price. As needed lovely orange sacks are purchased, filled, and deposited at the end of the driveway. In turn they are picked up and trucked to an approved site and further action is taken. As a concept, a polite way to solve a vexing issue. In practical terms some work remains.
The Star City program uses two colors of bags for this effort. Blue for recyclables and Orange for all other trash. It also includes with every package a short list of rules to follow for disposing of trash.
The package holding these bags is a clear plastic device and there is a single sheet of white paper with printing on one side. This creates an interesting dilemma. What do you do with that paper. Considering that the number of bags sold in each group is five, many reams of fine quality paper are used. Skinflints will froth and bluster about using these sheets for lists, coloring, or to wrap dead fish in. Most likely this paper gets tossed. At the end of a year it’s lots of odd sized papers adding to the waste stream, costing the taxpayer money.
The clear plastic is also thrown away. This is a missed opportunity. Printing on plastic is nothing new for the print industry. Print the rules on the clear plastic wrappers. Given the volume of bags sold to residents, it would save some money with a major efficiency.
Color is important. In their wisdom the planners of this endeavor decided on two sizes of orange bag. One is 13 gallons and the other is 30 gallons in size. Both sizes are Orange. Why? For the frazzled shopper in a hurry to get home this is a delightful interlude in a busy life: Which size did I buy?
Surely one of the two selections could be colored differently. This would be a welcomed relief for the trash crews. Will they have to lift 30 gallons of material or 13 gallons. Clearly a missed opportunity at this time. Perhaps Yellow or Brown would be a better color choice.
The issue at this moment is making Resource Recovery part of the regular activity of every person. Making efficient use of limited materials is one way to lower costs and helps to educate the consumer. Innovation is a key component of developing our future. Appearances are important. being able to point to how we are being efficient, helpful, and limiting our own products will go far.
Orpheus Allison is a photojournalist living in The County. He began his journalism career at WAGM television later working in many different areas of the U.S.. After 20 years of television he changed careers and taught in China and Korea. Graduating from UMPI he earned a master of liberal arts degree from the University of North Carolina.
