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For Immediate Release
December 19, 2001

Contact:
E-mail: beryl@wolfenews.com

Beryl Wolfe
(207) 775-5115

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

Give a Holiday Gift to the Environment: Recycle

RWS says wrapping paper, packing material and gift boxes don't have to be thrown away

PORTLAND, Maine - The holiday season is about family, friends and the spirit of giving. But left in the wake of all the good cheer are mounds and mounds of strewn wrapping paper, packing material, cardboard, and gift boxes of all shapes and sizes.

One way to deal with the barrage of post-holiday clutter is to recycle it in a Regional Waste Systems recycling container, says an official at RWS, a non-profit municipal-owned organization that serves 27 communities in southern Maine. More than 100 recycling containers in 60 locations are available in member communities, in parking lots at supermarkets, municipal buildings, and high schools. Residents who live in communities with curbside pickup of recyclables also are encouraged to participate.

"Wrapping paper, gift boxes and even Styrofoam peanuts don't need to go in the trash," said Carol Fritz of Cape Elizabeth, a board member at RWS and chair of its Recycling Committee. "Recycling your paper and boxes can be a holiday gift to the environment."

RWS offers the following facts, tips and guidelines for dealing with the aftermath of holiday celebrations:

- Almost all holiday wrapping paper is recyclable. The only exceptions are the types made with foil or glitter. Acceptable wrapping paper can be dropped off at one of the familiar silver RWS recycling bins located throughout southern Maine. Wrapping paper should be placed in the bin with paperboard and corrugated cardboard, not mixed papers.

- Shirt boxes, gift boxes and corrugated cardboard boxes are all recyclable, and also are accepted at the drop-off locations in the appropriate bin.

- Styrofoam is not recyclable. However, most commercial mailing centers (Mail Boxes Etc., Package Plus, etc.) accept Styrofoam peanuts for re-use. Please call ahead to make sure. Molded Styrofoam must be discarded in the trash.

- Most municipalities have removal programs for discarded Christmas trees placed curbside following the holidays. The trees are often ground up for mulch and composted. Inquire at your town office.

Fritz added that wrapping paper or any plastic materials should never be burned in a fireplace or wood stove because of environmental concerns. She suggested, too, that wrapping paper could be saved and re-used the following year.

To reinforce the holiday recycling message, public service announcements featuring the RWS recycling mascot, Reggie the Raccoon, will be distributed to local television stations and public access channels to air during the holidays.

For additional information, persons may call 871-SORT at RWS or visit the RWS website at www.regionalwaste.org to find the location of the nearest RWS recycling container.

And for those who are especially interested in what happens to the unrecyclable, post-holiday materials that get thrown in the trash, RWS offers tours of its waste-to-energy facility on Blueberry Road in Portland to groups from its member towns and cities. Call Eric Root at 773-6465 to schedule.

Regional Waste Systems, Inc. is a non-profit solid waste management corporation that is owned and controlled by 21 cities and towns (Bridgton, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Harrison, Hollis, Limington, Lyman, North Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Portland, Pownal, Scarborough, South Portland, Waterboro, Windham and Yarmouth), and also has six associate member towns (Baldwin, Hiram, Naples, Parsonsfield, Porter and Standish.)

RWS has the largest, most comprehensive municipal recycling program in the state with more than 100 recycling bins in 60 locations throughout southern Maine. More than 16,000 tons of recyclable material are processed each year. Established in 1974 after Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough decided to form a cooperative to handle their waste disposal, RWS today is governed by a 28-member board, consisting of officials appointed from member towns. RWS accepts solid waste and recycled materials from these communities. For additional information on RWS, visit the RWS web site at http://www.regionalwaste.org.

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