RWS Gives Away More Than 6,400 Pumpkins to Area Elementary Schools to Promote Recycling

PORTLAND -- Regional Waste Systems, Inc., a non-profit municipal solid waste and recycling organization owned and controlled by 27 towns in southern Maine, has given away more than 6,400 pumpkins to area elementary schools as part of its annual "Great Pumpkin Giveaway" program.

The pumpkins, which are grown on RWS land, are given to schools in RWS member towns to promote composting and recycling education, according to Carol Fritz, chair of the RWS Recycling Committee.

This year, more than 35 schools participated in the program. Schools in Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Parsonsfield, Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, and Windham ordered pumpkins from RWS. Participating schools also receive informational flyers from RWS as a way to promote composting and recycling among students and their families.

"RWS gives the pumpkins away to give back to the community, but also to use as a teaching tool on composting and recycling," said Eric Root, director of materials recovery at RWS. "It's important to make less trash and recycle and compost more at home, and where better to start than with the kids."

RWS also has a composting section on its web site: http://www.regionalwaste.org/composting.html.

RWS member cities and towns are Baldwin, Bridgton, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Harrison, Hiram, Hollis, Limington, Lyman, Naples, North Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Parsonsfield, Porter, Portland, Pownal, Scarborough, South Portland, Standish, Waterboro, Windham and Yarmouth.

Regional Waste Systems, Inc. is a non-profit solid waste management corporation that is owned and controlled by 21 cities and towns, and also has six associate member towns. RWS also has the largest municipal recycling program in the state. Established in 1974 after Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough decided to form a cooperative to handle their waste disposal, today RWS is governed by a 28-member board, consisting of officials appointed from member towns. RWS accepts solid waste and recycled materials from these communities and has a comprehensive, state-of-the-art recycling program with more than 100 recycling bins in 60 locations. For additional information on RWS, visit the RWS web site, http://www.regionalwaste.org.

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