3373-R3_ML&P_TownOfBuxton_Web

Solid Waste Manager’s 2014 Report

Buxton residents produced 2,636 tons of household trash and 693 tons of bulky waste in 2014. The Buxton Transfer Station recycled 6.5 tons of plastic, 35 tons of boxboard, 46 tons of newspaper, and 55.5 tons of cardboard. Keep up the good work recycling! Buxton had a very busy Hazardous Waste Day this past fall. We spent $13,900 on 2014’s Hazardous Waste Day. This day allows us to properly dispose of mercury containing products such as fluorescent light bulbs, thermometers, thermostats, and button batteries. We also removed pesticides, solvents, acids, PCB’s, asbestos and other toxic material from our community. In order to save tax dollars, Hazardous Waste Day will be held every other year, on the even numbered years. The next Hazardous Waste Day is tentatively scheduled for the first Saturday in October of 2016. Our composting facility received 1100 yards of leaves and grass, 15 yards of food waste, and 1200 yards of animal manure and bedding. Composting eliminates the need to pay for hauling and disposal fees for leaves and grass, and provides compost as a useful end product for our community. We accept leaves, grass, sawdust from untreated wood, pine needles, garden clippings, manure, and non-animal kitchen scraps (fruits & vegetables) for our compost piles. We can’t accept dog, cat, or human feces for composting. Compost is available to Buxton residents for $10 for a bucket full from our front end loader (fills the bed of a small pickup truck). We also have wood chips available for $5 per bucket full. Compost and wood chips are free if you shovel them yourself. There is no charge to drop off compostable materials at the transfer station. Backyard compost bins are available at the Transfer Station for those who want to compost at home. We also have rain barrels and compost thermometers available. The Transfer Station accepts returnable bottles year round for the “Keep the Heat On” fund. This fund raises over $6,000 a year to purchase heating oil for those Buxton residents in need of assistance.

Anyone looking to stretch their budget should check out the Share Shop (otherwise known as the Buxton Mall). We have books, clothes, baby items, bikes, toys, furniture, sewing fabric, walkers, building materials, and miscellaneous treasures free for the taking. This is a great way to share your unwanted items with local people in need. Reuse is one of the best forms of recycling. Please visit the Town web site at www.buxton.me.us, and click on the Solid Waste Department heading for more information on recycling and other solid waste topics. If anyone has any suggestions that would make the Transfer Stationmore efficient, please let me know. Questions and comments can be e-mailed to buxtonts@sacoriver.net . The Transfer Station is open Tuesdays from9am to 5pm, and Thursdays & Saturdays from 8am to 4pm. We are closed any Tuesday after a Sunday or Monday holiday. Our phone number is 929-3913. We are located at 185 Portland Road, behind Town Hall and the salt shed.

Respectfully submitted by:

Greg Heffernan Solid Waste Manager

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