The Silver Bullet program is coming back to Windham. After closing in April due to misuse, the recycling program is slated to reopen sometime this month.
Doug Fortier, Director of the Public Works Department, says he is waiting on Regional Waste Systems (RWS) to “retrofit” the Silver Bullet bins with new signage. Once they are retrofitted, the recycling bins will be available at their new location, the Public Works building, for resident use from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. this summer.
The town was closed the Silver Bullet program this past April due to illegal dumping and misuse. Fourtier said that it had been a “constant battle to keep them clean because people were just abusing it.” Bulky items like couches, scattered household trash and even hypodermic needles and human waste had been discarded at the silver bullet bins at their former locations behind Big Lots on Route 302 and Windham Social Services Building on Route 202. Fortier hopes that by storing the bins at the Public Works building, most of the illegal dumping will be put to an end.
“It’s going to be here where there are a lot of people around,” Fortier said. “That should keep the dishonest people out because they don’t want to get caught.”
Former Town Councilor Tom Bartell recommended that $15,000 be amended to this fiscal year’s budget for the Silver Bullet program. Because the budget called for an increase in the price of the town’s garbage bags, Bartell felt that offering another way to recycle would help Windham residents use fewer trash bags and therefore spend less money. When the Town Council approved the amendment, those in attendance at the council meeting burst into applause.
Former Town Councilor Dan McGowan pushed for the reopening of the Silver Bullet program at the same meeting that the amendments were made, citing that his efforts at curbside recycling were left soggy.
“I hardly ever recycle on Wednesday because every Wednesday it rains,” McGowan said.
McGowan went on to say that he is glad that the Silver Bullet bins will reopen, but hopes they will be better tended to this time around.
“It is a cost the town can bear, but not when people are abusing it,” McGowan said. “I think the town needs to do more to impose (illegal dumping) fines.”
Once the Silver Bullet program reopens, two bins will be available for recycling: one for fiber/paper products and one for plastic and glass containers. A third bin will be added as an overflow bin for one of the other bins once the Public Works Department determines where the need is.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
