Most people know what we can recycle in our brown carts: paper, cardboard, magazines, bottles, cans, aluminum foil, glass and a few other things. I'd like to let you know about some other things that need to be recycled that cannot go into your brown cart. Universal waste is waste that contains mercury and needs to be disposed of appropriately. The best way to do this is to bring your universal waste items to the Transfer Station on the Foss Rd. Universal waste includes items like fluorescent light bulbs, CFLs, televisions, and computer monitors.

Because mercury is harmful to the environment there are some products that manufacturers are responsible for recycling. These include televisions and computer monitors. Also, just added to the list are hand held game consoles, digital picture frames and desktop printers. Because the recycling of these items is the responsibility of the manufacturer, residents only need to pay a small amount of money to dispose of them.

Another mercury item is old thermostats. These thermostats have a fair amount of mercury and can be dangerous if broken. They can be dropped off at the Transfer Station for a fee, but ask your heating technician about disposal because there are programs out there that allow them to dispose of thermostats for free.

Recycling is one of the easiest things we can do to help the environment and make less waste. The next step in reducing how much garbage you put out at the curb is taking out your food scraps and composting them. The City of Saco, starting in March, will have Earth Machine compost bins for sale for $37.50 each. On March 1st you can purchase your compost bin at the Public Works Office and you must be a Saco Resident.

These compost bins are great for your kitchen waste that would have otherwise gone in the trash. Kitchen waste can include the following: pasta, breads, fruits and vegetables. Items you want to avoid placing in the compost bin are things that contain fats and oils such as meats and cheeses. While they will break down, they are somewhat smelly, and will often attract animals. When you purchase the Earth Machine composter it comes with a booklet on how to best keep your compost. There is also panel that acts as a door and for screws that will help anchor your compost bin into the soil.

I would love to hear what's going on in your back yards! Contact me at sbernier@sacomaine.org, or at the Public Works Office at 282-1552. Your comments and questions are always appreciated.