Maine town chooses mandatory recycling.

Voters in Hollis, Maine, opted for curbside trash collection and mandatory recycling when they went to the polls this November, with 55 percent of residents selecting the option over curbside trash collection with voluntary recycling or a pay-per-bag option in combination with voluntary recycling.

According to Bob Fournier, chairman of the Hollis Recycling Committee, adopting the combination of curbside trash and recycling pickup is projected to lower the cost of trash disposal with regional non-profit solid waste agency Ecomaine once the town reaches a 30 percent recycling rate. The additional cost per household is estimated at $15 per year. The savings resulting from eliminating the use of "silver bullet" recycling containers at the transfer station is estimated to be $20,900.

The town of Scarborough will add curbside recycling to its services May 1, 2007, Town Manager Ron Owens says. "That date was selected because it's the same day that Ecomaine will open its new, single-stream recycling facility." Ecomaine is investing $3.7 million in the plant.

Regarding the move to single-stream collection, Owens says, "The faster collection time lowers the cost of labor and reduces idling time."

Ecomaine's 21 owner-communities are 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.