Frequently Asked Questions

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Q. Do we have to separate items in the bins?
A. No. The recycling program is "Single Sort"

Q. What is a Silver Bullet?
A. They are large silver-colored bins, for public use, at two locations. You can place recyclable paper products, cardboard, plastics, and cans in these bins.

Q. Where are the Silver Bullets?
A. Currently there are two sites:

South Portland Public Works
42 O'Neil Street (3rd right, after Red's Dairy Freeze, off Cottage Rd., if heading towards Cape. Office is 1st brick bldg. On left side.)

Hours 
Monday - Friday 6:00 am till 8:00 pm
Saturdays & Sundays - 6:00 am till Noon

Transfer Station
929 Highland Avenue (about 1/4 mile beyond the High School, if heading towards Scarborough, on the same side as High School.)

Hours
Monday - Closed
Tuesday & Wednesday - 8:00 am to 3:30 pm
Thursday - 8:00 am to 5:30 pm
Friday - 8:00 am to 12:30 pm
Saturday - 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
Sunday - Closed

Q. Can I recycle plastic garbage bags and other plastic bags (e.g., Shaws, Hannafords type bags) in my bin?
A. No, we cannot accept plastic bags. Some places accept their own bags for recycling. They may also be re-used for shopping.

Q. At what time should I set my bin curbside for collection?
A. Bins need to be placed curbside by 7:00 a.m. on your normal day of collection (please do not place bins curbside prior to the night before collection) and bring them in, after they have been emptied, or by that evening.

Q. What if I have more recycling than will fit in my container?
A. Overflow recycling, like overflow rubbish, will not be collected. Overflow may be either held over for a future collection or brought to one of the silver bullet locations.

Q. Why is everything being dumped into the same place on ONE truck?
A. The contractor uses a split truck and during the emptying process, the driver mechanically designates which side of the interior of the truck each container empties to.

Q. What happens to my recyclables when they leave the curb?
A. They are taken to ecomaine (formerly RWS) where they sorted, processed and sold to various companies that recycle the material into consumer products. Go to www.ecomaine.org for more information.

Q. All plastic containers have a recycle symbol on them with a number inside. What do these numbers mean, and why can’t all numbered plastics go in the bins?
A . Following is definition of the number, list of typical plastic materials and the corresponding symbol. A check mark indicates we accept; and X means we don’t.

PETE – Polyethylene Terephthalate Bottles (e.g., soft drink), honey, liquor, dish detergent, peanut butter jars, some ovenable food trays
HDPE – High Density Polyethylene ~ jugs (milk, distilled water, spring water, juice) and bottles (laundry & dish detergent, fabric softener, bleach, motor oil, antifreeze).
PVC – Polyvinyl Chloride Bottles ~ imported mineral water, salad dressing, vegetable oil, floor polish, mouthwash, liquor, blister packs, tile & drainage pipes
LDPE – Low Density Polyethylene ~ flexible bags (dry cleaning, bread, produce, trash, Food storage containers, and flexible lids.
PP – Polypropylene ~ battery cases, medical containers, oil additive containers, cereal box liners, bottle caps, combs, snack wraps, some yogurt cups & lids
PS – Polystyrene ~some yogurt cups & tubs, cookie & muffin trays, clear carryout containers, fast food cutlery, DVD & VCR.
EPS – Expanded Polystyrene ~ cassettes, vitamin bottles, meat & produce trays, egg cartons, and packing peanuts.
Other ~ water cooler bottles, microwaveable serving wear, most snack bags, and squeezable bottles for condiments.

Q. What are my options for getting rid of yard waste?
A. One option is to take it to the Transfer Station; or you can choose to compost leaves and grass clippings (compost bins may be available for purchase from Public Works, 767-7635). Brush must be under 6” in diameter. Anything larger, can be taken to either Commercial Paving & Recycling (885-9093) or Riverside Recycling (797-6200). Leaves only, are collected for 4 weeks only in the late fall each year, provided they are curbside and in biodegradable bags.

Q. When recycling my cell phone, can we recycle a charger and other accessories that go with it?
A. No, those are not recyclable through our program. Please also note that neither are home telephones. ONLY cell phones and their batteries (click here for more info). Please throw away any protective covers as well.

Q. Where can I take ink and printer cartridges?
A. The City offers the following locations to take Ink cartridges for printers, cellphones and rechargeable batteries (click here for more info)

Q. I have a lot of paint to dispose of. How do I do that?
A. Whether it is latex or oil-based, the remnants need to be completely dried. If there is a lot of material to dry, you can speed the process by adding something absorbent, such as kitty litter, sawdust, shredded newspaper, et al. This will give it something to bind to and get air into the mixture. Once dried, each type are handled differently.

Latex, dried and with the covers kept off, can be disposed of at the Transfer Facility (hours noted above).

Oil-based can be disposed of only one day annually in SP. See the HHW notice in the “Events” area for the current date. At any other time of the year, you may bring it to Riverside Recycling on Saturdays. For specifics of that program, Riverside’s number is 797-6200.