LIKE
Thursday March 28, 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
March 22, 2005

Contact:
Kevin Roche, GM, RWS
(207) 773-6465
E-mail: jason@wolfenews.com

Jason Wolfe, Wolfe PR
(207) 883-6083

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

Regional Waste Systems Seeking Recyclable Materials from Outside Communities throughout Region

Decision to pay for recyclables part of renaissance at RWS and should help to boost recycling

PORTLAND, Maine – Regional Waste Systems is actively seeking to buy recyclable materials from outside sources throughout the region as part of a new initiative that will benefit taxpayers in its 27 member communities.

RWS is targeting communities without recycling programs in place or those with partial programs that want to recycle more. RWS makes it easy to recycle by allowing some materials to be mixed together, providing for easy scale in/out, and quick payment for recyclable materials such as newspapers and cardboard. RWS is conveniently located off Exit 46 of the Maine Turnpike at 64 Blueberry Road in Portland.

RWS is willing to pay the communities a market rate for some recyclables such as cardboard and newspapers, said Kevin Roche, the general manager of the non-profit solid waste management organization owned and operated by 21 Maine communities. Currently, RWS is paying $30 per ton for corrugated cardboard from anyone in the region. In addition, RWS is paying $30 per ton for newspaper from generators outside the member communities.

“With this new program, everybody wins,” Roche said. “Communities get a financial incentive to recycle, which reduces their waste and saves them even more in avoided costs. RWS processes and sells more recyclables, creating a new revenue stream to help lower costs for our taxpayers. Plus, more waste is kept out of our landfills, helping the environment.”

As part of the new initiative, RWS also is launching a new service to assist communities in setting up programs to collect and process recyclable materials. An account representative from RWS will soon begin meeting with interested town officials throughout the region.
Those interested in finding out more about setting up a recycling program or selling recyclable materials to RWS are asked to contact Missi Labbe at RWS at 773-6465.

The new program marks a significant shift in thinking at RWS that began when Roche came on board last September. Following direction from the municipal owners of RWS, he has tried to operate RWS more like a business by, for example, responding to market conditions and taking advantage of economies of scale.

In the past, RWS did not accept materials from outside sources and relied only on materials from member communities. As a result, the RWS Recycling Center continues to be underutilized at a time when the market for recyclable material is strong.

RWS currently processes 17,000 tons of recycled material a year. The goal is to increase capacity by 25 percent or more, said Roche, whose background includes launching and operating a successful full-service recycling operation in Rochester, N.Y.

The money paid to attract additional tonnage will be more than made up when the material is re-sold on the open market, he said. And the new revenues can be used to keep assessments lower for taxpayers in member communities.

The active pursuit of recyclables outside RWS’ service area also fits into the long-range plan by RWS to take a more regionalized approach to solid waste disposal.

“To remain competitive, we need to be flexible and be willing to respond quickly to market conditions and be open to new opportunities,” Roche said. “This new initiative takes us in the direction that we want to go.”

Regional Waste Systems is a non-profit solid waste management corporation that is owned and operated 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, recycling more than 17,000 tons of recycled materials last 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 communities. RWS accepts solid waste and recycled materials from these communities. For more info, visit the RWS web site at www.regionalwaste.org.

# # #




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.