Brewer Joining Bangor In ‘One Bin, All-In’ Waste Program

Back when I lived in Portland, I remember the uproar that happened when we had to switch to blue trash bags, sold by the city. Everyone cried foul at first, but over time grew to accept it. And from what I remember, Brewer wasn't far behind when they switched to the orange bags that Brewer residents have come to know and love.

But now, Brewer will be joining Bangor in it's 'one bin, all-in' approach to trash and recycling. As of September 1st, residents will need to purchase orange tags at $2 a piece, instead of the bags. But, residents will be able to use any kind of bag they want, in any size. So maybe it's worth a trip to a place where you can buy them for pennies in sizable bulk.

But believe it or not, the city has crunched the numbers, and like Bangor, believes this will actually save residents money in the long run. And even better, it will greatly increase the amount of trash that is recovered, instead of just being put into the landfill. A company called Fiberight owns a facility in Hampden where all this waste will be processed, says WFVX-TV22.

Even so, some residents are skeptical, and not pleased about spending $2 per bag for trash to go out every week. Only time will tell if it's actually a more viable option. But considering some towns are dropping their recycling programs altogether because of cost increases, it's great the Bangor and Brewer will be giving this new idea a try.

The new tags will be available in just about all the places that folks have been getting their orange bags. Until the first, you'll need to continue doing it as you always have. And then....we'll wait and see.