Woolwich officially became one of ecomaine’s two newest members this month. Representatives of the Portland-based recycling, waste-to-energy facility were at the town office Saturday morning, July 16, to promote single-sort recycling.

On hand to answer questions were Lissa Bittermann, ecomaine business manager, and Lisa Wolff, communication manager.

The first hundred residents attending the event received a free heavy-duty, blue recycling bin with a white ecomaine logo. Wolff said they’d given out 25 to 30 totes in just the first hour.

A table displayed a number of products made from recycled materials including T-shirts made from recycled PET plastic bottles, Frisbees and pencils made from recycled newspapers.

Residents could also get information on how to further reduce their trash volume by composting their household food scraps, leaves and grass trimmings.

The day’s featured attraction was ecomaine’s electric car, manufactured by Nissan. Wolff said the car’s front-wheel drive engine is very quiet and gives off zero emissions. It goes about 90 miles on a single charge and drives just like a regular car. Ecomaine recharges it from electricity generated at its waste-to-energy plant, she added.

Bittermann said promotional events like the one in Woolwich are important in helping to educate people on the do’s and don’ts of recycling. One frequently asked question Saturday was what types of plastics can be tossed in the single-stream recycling tote. The way to tell the difference is to look for a number from one to seven on the item, Bittermann said. You can also tell by the texture. If it’s hard like a plastic detergent bottle, it’s recyclable.  Some plastic shopping bags are recyclable, while other, flimsier materials like snack bags aren’t.

Everyday items that are recyclable at ecomaine include: most paper products, newspapers and their inserts, magazines, paperback and hardcover books, milk and juice cartons, paper plates, pizza boxes and other clean cardboard containers.

Recyclable metals include tin, aerosol cans and beverage containers. All glass containers both colored and clear are recyclable but should be emptied.

Non-recyclable items include garbage, wood and wood products, kitty litter, light bulbs, thin plastic or wax paper sandwich bags, plastic trash bags, bubble wrap, knives, needles, diapers, gas or propane cylinders, snack bags and batteries, alkaline or button-cell. Styrofoam or polystyrene foam is not recyclable even if marked #6.

Ecomaine’s waste-to-energy plant is located at 64 Blueberry Drive in Portland. The state-of-the-art facility burns about 175,000 tons of non-recyclable trash every year. According to its website, ”Each year, ecomaine produces enough safe, clean and reliable electricity to power about 14,000 Maine homes.”

For more information about recycling and ecomaine visit www.ecomaine.org.