We encourage recycling and reducing the amount of these wastes that are disposed of in an inappropriate manner. Please see the proper recycling facilities for common household waste below and visit the Environmental Education Materials page for more information.
Used/Old Gasoline and Oil:
1. Deliver to the Environmental Depot, located in Lewiston and managed by the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments (AVCOG). It is open the first and third Saturdays of each month from May through November. Call 783 -9186 or go to Environmental Depot in Lewiston.
2. Contact a licensed hazardous waste professional. Hazardous waste haulers will pick-up contaminated gasoline from individuals, but the cost is around $20 a gallon.
Used/Old Paint and Stains:
Aubuchon Hardware (486 Stillwater Ave. Old Town, ME 04468) or Sherwin-Williams (625 Broadway. Bangor, ME 04401) will take residential quanties of retired paint as part of their PaintCare product stewardship program. This program offers free recycling of interior and exterior architectural coatings (both latex and oil-based) sold in containers of 5 gallons or less. Acceptable paint items are here.
Old Fluorescent Light Bulbs:
Aubuchon Hardware (486 Stillwater Ave. Old Town, ME 04468) will recycle old fluorescent and CFL light bulbs.
Old Mercury Thermostats:
Aubuchon Hardware (486 Stillwater Ave. Old Town, ME 04468) will give a $5 in store credit to anyone who recycles an old mercury thermostat in store.
Old Rechargable Batteries:
Stores in Bangor that participate in the Call2Recycle program including Lowes, Staples, Home Depot, will recycle old rechargable batteries (all dry-cell rechargable batteries up to 11 pounds. This includes batteries from power tools, in laptops and tablets, cellphones, and small sealed lead acid batteries.
Electronic Waste:
Stores in Bangor, including Goodwill, Staples, and Best Buy, will recycle electronic waste (e-waste) including computers, cell phones, TVs, printers, tablets, game consoles, scanners, cords, hardware, etc.
Mercury Switches from Motor Vehicles
The Automobile Manufacturers take back mercury switches from motor vehicles when they are dismantled. There are two separate programs, one for passenger vehicles including pickup trucks and one for medium and heavy-duty trucks.
a. Passenger Vehicle Program. In Maine, automobile companies pay for the collection and recycling of mercury switches. Auto dismantlers can sign up with the End of Life Vehicle Solutions (ELVS) program to receive a free collection bucket and $4 for each switch collected.
b. Medium and Heavy Truck Program. The Truck Manufacturers Association on behalf of their members operates the truck program. The White & Bradstreet facility in Augusta serves as the consolidation facility for this program. Dismantlers of medium and heavy-duty trucks can take their mercury switches along with their log sheets to the White & Bradstreet facility and receive a $4 bounty per switch.