Scarborough’s waste disposal costs are going up. Starting July 1, ecomaine will set new fees to dispose of recycling at their facility.

Clean recycling loads will cost $35 per ton, and trash will cost $73 per ton.

If a recycling load is “dirty,” or contaminated with trash or other items that can’t be recycled, ecomaine will process it as trash and charge an additional $73/ton. That load of “dirty” recycling will now cost $108/ton.

Why the change?

More and more trash is being mixed with recycling, and recyclables from the United States can no longer be sent to China to be turned into new goods.

The town has provided information about the global changes in recycling markets, and local and national news outlets have covered these challenges.

Scarborough is trying to minimize recycling disposal costs by helping residents understand what can and can’t be recycled.

Partnering with ecomaine and three neighboring communities, Scarborough is providing recycling outreach this summer. Starting with the Tuesday trash route, summer staff will check curbside recycling carts to make sure only items that can be recycled are in the cart. Carts will then be tagged with an informational tag based on what it contains:

• Green tags mean the cart only contains recyclables;

• Yellow tags mean the cart contains a few items that cannot be recycled;

• Red tags mean the cart contains too many items that cannot be recycled, and the cart will not be picked up that week.

The goal of the outreach is to improve recycling habits and reduce waste disposal costs.

More information about the program is available on ecomaine’s website, www.ecomaine.org/pilotproject19.

With rising costs, many people are asking if recycling is still worth it. The answer is a resounding, yes.

If residents are diligent and recycle only what is allowed, the town and taxpayers will save money. Plus, recycling is still important for a clean, healthy environment.

For more information about what can and cannot be recycled, check out ecomaine’s Recyclopedia at www.ecomaine.org/recyclopedia or download the Recyclopedia app.

A printable list of what can and can’t be recycled is available on the town’s website, www.scarboroughmaine.org/departments/public-works/waste-recycling.

Jami Fitch is sustainability coordinator for Scarborough.

Comments are not available on this story.