LIKE
Friday March 29, 2024


Click the logos
for news and info
about these companies

Non-Profits & Special Events








Products & Services










Banking & Finance




Construction &
Real Estate






Travel & Tourism








Public Affairs











Top Headlines

For Immediate Release
June 12, 2000

Contact:

Beryl Wolfe
(207) 775-5115

Web Site: http://www.regionalwaste.org

Cheryl Leeman Honored as 'Recycler of the Year' by RWS

PORTLAND, Maine -- Portland City Councilor and Mayor Cheryl Leeman was named "Recycler of the Year" by Regional Waste Systems for leading the efforts to increase recycling in the City of Portland during the last year.

Leeman, a Portland City Councilor who has worked vigorously to bring the curbside recycling program to Portland, accepted the annual award at the May 24 RWS open house and dedication of the non-profit municipal organization's new mechanical sorting equipment. The event was attended by more than 100 area residents, recycling enthusiasts and town officials from the 31 towns served by RWS, which has the largest municipal recycling program in the state.

A Maine native, Leeman has served as the Special Projects Director for Sen. Olympia Snowe in Portland since 1995. Before joining Sen. Snowe's staff, she was the state project director at the Maine office of Head Start. Leeman has been elected and has served on the Portland City Council since 1984.

Chairman of the RWS Board Dale Olmstead, town manager of Freeport, presented Leeman with the award at the recycling dedication event, saying Leeman led the effort to enable Portland to evolve into a leader instead of a follower in the area of recycling. "It was the leadership and foresight - and perseverance - of Cheryl Leeman that brought the curbside recycling initiative to Portland," he said. "The city's sharp increase in recycling as a result points directly to the success of that program and her efforts."

Upon accepting the plaque and recognition at the event, Leeman insisted it was a team effort and gave credit to the Portland public works staff and the Recycling Advisory Committee.

"There are just so many positive benefits of curbside recycling and recycling in general," Leeman said. "It provides an enormous benefit for communities, not only in terms of reducing the waste, but for the environment. It's also the right thing to do."

The award is part of a new, annual recognition program initiated by RWS which includes youth essay and poster contests during the school year to promote and encourage recycling in the area. RWS also has a recycling mascot called "Reggie" who is available for public events, and a recycling display for towns to use at fairs, events and in town offices.

In addition to her work on the council, Leeman serves on the board of the Portland Downtown District, the Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce, the MaineBIZ Advisory Board, the Children's Theatre of Maine, the Electric Deregulation Task Force, and the Residential/Business Recycling Task Force, among others.

The new recycling equipment at RWS was procured by a volunteer Recycling Committee made up of citizens who serve on the RWS board and chaired by Carol Fritz of Cape Elizabeth. The series of large new sorting conveyors changes the way glass, cans and other containers, cardboard and paper are received and sorted in the 31 towns that own and control RWS. By using space and people more efficiently, the equipment allows plastic bottles such as soda bottles (#1) and detergent or bleach bottles (#2 colored) to now be recycled at RWS. In addition, the new system allows all cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles to be mixed together, cutting transportation costs and making it easier for residents to recycle. Signs will soon be posted at the silver recycling bins throughout southern Maine to instruct residents about the changes.

The committee studied recycling equipment for more than a year before making a recommendation to the RWS board last September. Portland's creation of a new curbside recycling program last July added more urgency because the amount of recycled material coming into RWS increased as a result.

After visiting plants and conducting interviews, the committee chose Hustler Conveyor Co. of St. Charles, Mo. The new equipment, which includes a fiber sorting line and a container sorting line for cans, glass and plastic bottles, allows RWS to handle about 13,000 tons of recyclables this year. It is designed to handle the anticipated continued and accelerated growth.

RWS handles the solid waste management and recycling needs of its 21 owner communities and also serves 10 associate members in southern Maine. It is owned and controlled by its member municipalities. The waste transported to the facility, located on Blueberry Road off Outer Congress Street in Portland, is incinerated to create energy. RWS also has more than 100 drop off recycling bins set up in more than 60 locations. The 31 towns and cities served by RWS include Baldwin, Bridgton, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Cumberland, Durham, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Harrison, Hiram, Hollis, Limington, Lyman, Naples, North Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Parsonsfield, Phippsburg, Porter, Portland, Pownal, Scarborough, Sebago, South Portland, Standish, Waterboro, Westbrook, Windham, and Yarmouth.

# # #


NOTE: Wolfe News Wire is an online source for news and information about noteworthy companies and organizations. We invite you to share this content and/or leave a comment. Background info and past news items from a specific organization can be found by clicking the side logos. For more info, please email info@wolfenews.com. Thank you!



Terms of Use and Privacy Policy




©2015 Wolfe Public Relations. All Rights Reserved.