BOWDOINHAM

The town of Bowdoinham was named 2018 Maine Recycling and Solid Waste Program of the Year by Maine Resource Recovery Association at this year’s Maine Recycling and Solid Waste Conference & Trade Show at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

The town was nominated for this year’s award by several town residents wishing to recognize the Bowdoinham Recycling Barn and the dedicated work of recently retired Manager David Berry.

While presenting the award, association President Ross Nason in a press release noted that the program’s public appeal contributed to its success, commenting that the facility also served as a quasi – community center making it a “great example of what makes the Bowdoinham program unique in a salt of the earth way.”

“Residents report that the fun nature of the recycling center helps divert more materials from disposal, as well as, offering the community great pickings for free stuff,” Ross stated. “It’s neat and well-organized, and they do a great job of recycling and composting, which has resulted in a consistently high recycling rate.”

The town of Bowdoinham was also recognized as an early adopter of curbside recycling and one of the first communities in Maine to implement a pay-as-youth-row program.

Berry accepted the award on behalf of the town.

According to Berry’s father, State Rep. Seth Berry, the David Berry led the effort to start the town’s recycling program in 1987, in a converted chicken barn, at a time when the town dump was reaching its capacity. From the start, it was Maine’s first pay-as-youth-row program, and accepted more types of waste than any other program in Maine.

Of 30 model programs studied in a 1994 report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Bowdoinham had the highest recycling rate, according to Seth Berry.

The town has also been a statewide leader in the recovery of household hazardous waste, such as used paints and other toxic materials, and electronic waste.

“Bowdoinham’s program is a success because our residents have made it one,” said David Berry in a press release. “I was honored to bring this award home for them.”

Berry retired from the role at age 77, in late 2017.

“What I’ve enjoyed most about the job has been the interaction with townspeople from every walk of life,” he said.