What Do I Do With...?

Pre-sorting your recyclables will make it much easier to drop them off at the Transfer Station.  If storage space is an issue, combine glass, plastic, and metal cans in one bin.  These items are stored next to each other at the Transfer Station and can be easily separated on site.  Boxboard, office paper, and junk mail are recycled together.  Please keep junk mail and office paper separate from newspapers, magazines, and cardboard.

Aerosol products such as shaving cream cans or hair spray cans
Aerosol cans should be recycled in the metal can bin inside the recycling building, or the 40 yard metal bin in the outside drop off area.

Aluminum
The blue plastic barrel to the left of the Metal Can bins is for Aluminum.  Most cat food cans are Aluminum.

Boxboard, Office paper, & Junk Mail
The Boxboard bins are located on the right hand side as you drive into the Transfer Station, next to the corrugated cardboard bins. Materials acceptable for recycling in this bin include Boxboard, junk mail, shredded paper, and office paper.  Examples of Boxboard include cereal boxes, egg cartons, paper towel & toilet paper tubes, frozen food boxes, and six-pack containers.

Boxboard is thinner than cardboard, and is not ribbed or honeycombed with air pockets.

Cardboard Boxes
Do I have to break down cardboard boxes in order for them to be recycled?
No, our bailing machine presses cardboard boxes into a tight block suitable for recycling.

Cardboard - Corrugated 
The two Corrugated Cardboard bins are located on the right hand side as you drive into the Transfer Station, next to the Newspaper & Magazine bins.  Materials acceptable for recycling in these bins include Corrugated Cardboard and paper bags.  Corrugated Cardboard is thicker than Boxboard, usually has a honeycombed pattern of air pockets when viewed from the side, and sometimes ha a ribbed appearance.  We cannot accept wax coated cardboard for recycling.

Cat food cans
Most cat food cans are made of aluminum and should be recycled in the inside or outside aluminum bins.

Fluorescent Bulbs
Why can’t I throw fluorescent bulbs in the trash?
Fluorescent bulbs contain mercury vapor.  Mercury is harmful to the environment and your health.  If you accidentally break a fluorescent bulb, back away immediately to avoid breathing in the mercury vapors, and ventilate the area.  Compact fluorescent bulbs (the twisty screw in types) also contain mercury vapor.  All fluorescent bulbs should be brought to your local hardware store for proper disposal.

Gas or oil tanks
We can accept gas or oil tanks if you cut them in half or at least cut several large holes in them.  There is no charge for most metal items including gas or oil tanks. Oil sludge can be disposed of if you add sawdust, speedy-dry, or kitty litter to bring it to an oatmeal consistency

Glass
The Glass bins are located on the left side as you drive into the Transfer Station.  The Glass Bins are to the right of the Metal Can bins. Materials acceptable for recycling in the Glass Bins include all colors and types of glass.  Please remove lids and rinse before recycling. Labels do not have to be removed.

Lawnmowers or other items with an engine
We accept lawnmowers or other items with an engine as long as the gas and oil are drained out of the engine before disposal. The gas and oil can be burned in our waste oil furnace.

Metal Cans
The Metal Can bins are located on the left side as you drive into the Transfer Station.  Materials acceptable for recycling in the Metal Can bins include metal cans, lids, coat hangers, aerosol cans, and other small metal objects.  Labels do not have to be removed, but rinsing food cans is appreciated.

Motor oil (used) or old gas
Vegetable oils, motor oil, transmission fluid, gas, kerosene, and other petroleum-based fluids should be brought to the Transfer Station to be burned in our waste oil furnace.  We can only accept oil or gas in containers holding 5 gallons or less.   

What if my gas or oil is mixed with water or antifreeze?
Contaminated gas or oil can be saved for Hazardous Waste Day, or dried with sawdust, kitty litter, or speedy dry, and then deposited in our MERC bin.

Newspapers and Magazines
The Newspaper and Magazine bins are located on the right side as you drive into the Transfer Station.  These bins are directly across from the Metal Can and Glass Bins.  Materials acceptable for recycling in these bins include newspapers, magazines, phone books, and soft covered books.  Please do not put bags, junk mail, or office paper in this bin.

Paint
Oil based paint and stains are hazardous and should be brought to your local hardware store.  

Latex paint can be accepted at the Transfer Station if it is not in liquid form.  Latex paint doesn’t have to be bone dry, just the consistency of oatmeal or dryer.  Adding sawdust, kitty litter, or speedy dry works well.

Plastic - Colored #2
The bin for Colored # 2 Plastic is located behind the bin for opaque # 2 plastic.  Examples of Colored # 2 Plastic include laundry detergent jugs, bleach jugs, vitamin containers, shampoo bottles, and white milk jugs.  White Plastics such as bleach jugs are considered colored plastic. 

Plastic - Opaque #2 
The bin for Opaque #2 Plastic is located on the left side as you drive into the Transfer Station.  This bin is to the right of the Glass and Metal Can bins, against the left outside wall of the office.  Please do not mix different grades of plastic in the # 2 Plastic bins. We only recycle # 2 plastics.  Check the bottom of your containers for a # 2 imprint in the middle of three recycling arrows.

Examples of Opaque # 2 plastic include milk jugs, juice jugs, and water jugs.  Plastics that are clear as glass, such as ketchup or peanut butter containers, are not # 2 plastic.

Plastic shopping bags
We can only recycle # 2 plastic.  We do not have a market to recycle plastic shopping bags.  Plastic bags dropped off at the Transfer Station are burned for fuel at the MERC incinerator in Biddeford.  Many supermarkets accept plastic shopping bags for recycling.

Prescription drugs
Is it OK to flush my prescription drugs down the toilet?
No, it pollutes the groundwater.  Hide them in your curbside trash or bring them to the Transfer Station.  Please see the prescription drug link for more information. Click here for full details

Styrofoam
We do not have a market to recycle Styrofoam.  Styrofoam dropped off at the Transfer Station is burned for fuel at the MERC incinerator in Biddeford.