Baled recyclables at the EcoMaine plant. Photo: Dillon Whitton
By Angelina Keizer
Wishcycling—the act of tossing something in the bin hoping it’s recyclable—is causing major problems in Sanford, according to EcoMaine, the area’s recycling facility.
“The most common item that is wishcycled is plastic films: plastic bags, bread bags, Ziploc, bubble wrap, trash bags, etc.,” said Bea Johnson, a representative of EcoMaine.“When this makes its way into the recycling system, it gets caught around our [mechanics]. This can cause equipment malfunctions, jams and in some cases even friction fires.” She also said that lithium-ion batteries are dangerous and have caused fires at the facility.
EcoMaine representatives came to Springvale Library last month to educate Sanford residents on proper recycling choices. EcoMaine, a Portland-based waste-to-energy facility that takes all of Sanford’s single-sort recycling, hopes to spread awareness about wishcycling among residents and businesses.
“One key behavior change that should be taken away from this talk is that just because something has a recycling symbol on it, it doesn’t mean that it belongs in the single-sort recycling bin,” said Johnson. She said that one wrong choice can cost the town money and put workers at risk due to sorting machine malfunctions.
The message hit home for librarian Sam Clendaniel. “Not everything that you think can be recycled or has the emblem for recycling can actually be recycled,” said Clendaniel, a Sanford resident of 22 years who attended the presentation as part of her workday. She admitted she used to toss plastic soup broth containers and Dunkin’ coffee cup lids in the recycling bin. “I had no idea,” she said.
EcoMaine representatives said bagged recyclables, like bags inside cereal boxes, are one of the most common and costly mistakes they see. “Plastic films can go to your nearest Hannaford or grocery store for film plastic recycling,” said Johnson. After learning this, Clendaniel said this is a change she is going to make about her recycling habits.
EcoMaine’s Johnson said “eco-bricking” was another issue that she sees a lot. This trend involves people packing hard-to-recycle plastics into bottles to keep them out of landfills, for example by filling an empty water gallon with small plastic films instead of tossing them into the recycling bin.
“We do not want these bricks being thrown in recycling once they have been filled with different types of plastic,” she said.
Sanford is backing up EcoMaine’s message with action. The city recently awarded a waste contract to Casella Waste Systems, which will take over curbside pickup, eventually using an automated system with new containers.
“These transitions have been relatively seamless so far, but Sanford/Springvale residents should expect major changes with the upcoming automated program rollout,” Matthew Hill, Sanford public works director, said in a press release.
The new system does not mean a change in what’s recyclable and what’s not. “It will be important for residents to remain vigilant about notices for upcoming changes,” Hill stated.
Sanford residents who are looking for recycling guidance on particular items can visit EcoMaine’s online “Recyclopedia” or watch the full recycling presentation.
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