In an effort to encourage people to recycle, Raymond Selectmen voted Tuesday to modify the town’s curbside trash pickup program.
Currently, residents are allowed two trash containers. But under the new program, scheduled to go into effect on July 1 of this year, the amount of allowable trash will be reduced to 40 pounds or one 32-gallon barrel per week per residence.
Those wishing to dispose of any bags beyond that amount will be required to affix a sticker to each. The stickers are available in the Raymond Town Office for $1 but Town Clerk Louise Lester expects the price to go up.
Lester said that Pine Tree Waste, the company contracted by the town for curbside pickup, has been “very liberal” in the past with what they would take. As part of this new program, Raymond plans to request that the waste company not be as lenient as they have been previously.
Because of the board’s decision, the town was able to put $5,000 into revenue because of the anticipated sale of stickers, resulting in $5,000 fewer tax dollars.
Although the details of the new plan have yet to be worked out, the selectmen see it as a positive step toward getting Raymond residents to recycle more. Selectman Lonnie Taylor said he felt it would encourage his own family to take the effort to separate trash. He added that, in the future, recycling will most likely be a requirement and that it makes sense to teach children to do it now.
The curbside trash program will be sent next to the Recycling Committee, who will tweak it before its implementation in July.
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