For Immediate Release
October 29, 2002

Contact:
Eric Root
(207) 773-6465
Jason Wolfe
(207) 775-5115
E-mail: jason@wolfenews.com
Web Site: http://www.regionalwaste.org

Regional Waste Systems' annual "Great Pumpkin Giveaway" proved as popular as ever this fall as 8,928 pumpkins - a record amount - were provided to students at 47 area elementary schools, officials at RWS announced Tuesday.

Each year, RWS, a non-profit municipal solid waste and recycling organization owned and controlled by 27 towns in southern Maine, gives away pumpkins to schoolchildren in member communities as a way to promote composting and recycling education. Many of the pumpkins are grown on RWS land.

Participating schools also received informational flyers from RWS to help raise awareness about composting and recycling among students and their families, said Susan McGinty of Cumberland, chair of the RWS Recycling Committee.

The program continues to grow. Last year, 35 schools participated and 6,400 pumpkins were handed out. "We're pleased that so many kids were able to enjoy these pumpkins, and hope that along with the pumpkins they learned a little something about the benefits of composting and recycling waste," McGinty said. "It's important to make less trash and recycle and compost more at home, and where better to start than with the kids."

Schools in Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Pownal, Limington, Hollis, Yarmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Portland, South Portland, Scarborough and Windham participated. Pumpkins also were provided to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

Visit the RWS website at www.regionalwaste.org/composting.html for more information on composting.

RWS is owned and controlled by 21 member communities and also has six associate member towns. Those communities are: Baldwin, Bridgton, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Harrison, Hollis, Limington, Lyman, Naples, North Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Parsonsfield, Porter, Portland, Pownal, Raymond, Scarborough, South Portland, Standish, Waterboro, Windham, and Yarmouth.

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 its member communities and today operates the largest municipal recycling program in Maine with more than 100 recycling bins in 60 locations. For additional information on RWS, visit www.regionalwaste.org.

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