Acadia Disposal District

Keeping our towns beautiful

State of Maine Waste Hierarchy

By

The State of Maine Waste Hierarchy prioritizes waste management practices from best to worst, as follows:

REDUCE:  Best thing you can do about waste is not to have so much of it in the first place.

RE-USE:  Example:  Carry a set of utensils with you, or in your car, and you won’t need that plastic fork or spoon.

RECYCLE: Notice that this isn’t the top rung.  Recycling is good, but reduce and re-use are better.

COMPOST: Organic waste (uneaten food) can compose up to 40% of the waste stream by weight, and that the organic materials that end up in a landfill will decompose and release methane which is a potent greenhouse gas. For more information on composting see https://www.maine.gov/dep/sustainability/compost/index.html.

BENEFICIAL USE: This is a relatively new category, and refers to processing that reduces the volume of materials directed to a landfill. Beneficial use encompasses the reuse of solid waste as a substitute for raw material in manufacturing, as construction material or fill, as a fuel, as landfill cover, or as an agronomic soil amendment.

WASTE TO ENERGY:  Incineration of trash with the production of electricity as by-product.

LANDFILL:  Least desirable option

Sustainable MDI

Businesses on MDI can join the Sustainable MDI program.  This is a voluntary program where businesses pledge to implement sustainable practices, and in turn receive a Sustainable MDI decal for display at their place of business.  Reducing waste has been a key goal for the Sustainable MDI businesses. Click on the “Sustainable MDI” above for contact information, the pledge list of sustainable practices, and the list of participating businesses.

Solid Waste Flow Chart

By

In each town the cost of getting rid of solid waste is the second highest budget item (after schools). The code includes hauling fees, access fees (the right to deposit MSW and recycling at EMR and Ellsworth), per ton “tipping fees” for MSW at EMR, and rent of dumpsters. Only your composting costs our town nothing – and of course its your family’s taxes that support your town. So composting and recycling, as well as reducing the amount of other stuff you throw away saves money as well as reducing the burden on the environment.

Solid Waste Flow Chart for Acadia Disposal District Towns (Tremont, Frenchboro, Mount Desert, Cranberry Isles, Trenton)

solid-waste-flow-chart

*EMR is Eastern Maine Recycling, the transfer station in Southwest Harbor.

**PERC is Penobscot Energy Recovery Company in Orrington.

***MSW is short for municipal solid waste.

Why an Acadia Disposal District?

By

  • Acadia Disposal District (ADD) is a non-profit, non-taxable, quasi-municipal corporation, owned by the member towns, which are currently Cranberry Isles, Frenchboro, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, Tremont, and Trenton. 
  • ADD keeps abreast of changes in trash disposal and recycling – assisting member towns as needed.
  • ADD is organized and governed by a Board of Directors: 
  • Each town has one representative, appointed by the Town. 
  • Each town is represented equally and gets one vote on the Board. 
  • Member costs are proportional to the amount of municipal solid waste from each town. 

Benefits to the member towns: ADD’s goals and plans include: 

  • Reduced operating costs by:
    • spreading costs out over more users and then distributing those costs based on volume of trash from each town.
    • utilizing new methods of disposal and benefiting from operating on a regional basis.

Privacy Policy