Dear Editor:

At the Wiscasset landfill in Lincoln County, and I suspect other area municipalities’ landfills around Maine, the only plastics that can be regularly recycled at #2. I have three complaints concerning this unfortunate situation:

First, it is difficult to see the tiny triangle with the #2 inside or other number because they are too small to see easily. I have looked at the bottoms of hundreds of foods packed in plastic containers in the really good grocery stores we have locally but it is often difficult to find and see containers with #2.

Second, if the manufacturers are going to package their products in plastic, it must be in recyclable plastics to prevent massive unattractive and uninhabitable plastic oceans that imperil many of our food sources and the food sources of the ocean organisms we depend upon. In our coastal areas, this unsightly and sometimes dangerous waste damages our beaches and impact the tourist industry that is critical to our local economy.

Lastly, As responsible consumers, who do we complain to about this unfortunate situation? The grocery store? The manufacturers? The government?

Is this a concern for others who would like to be more responsible about recycling and disposable waste?

I applaud the good works of the landfills and waste disposal programs that have begun to address the massive problems of waste cleanup in our area, but we must all do more if we are to maintain and improve the quality of life in Midcoast Maine and our world. As Governor Mills said in her State of the State address: “We are Maine! We can get it done!” If this cannot be accomplished, then we must consider a statewide ban on items that cannot be safely used and recycled.

Lorna and Griff Winthrop

Wiscasset