Why is boosting recycling a persistent problem? | Our Sustainable City
South Portland Sets Ambitious Recycling Plan as Landfill Capacity Nears Limit
South Portland, Maine – The city’s sustainability department announced today that it has secured a solid‑waste‑diversion grant from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The grant will fund a multi‑year campaign designed to raise recycling rates and divert more waste from the state’s dwindling landfills.
The project, slated to begin in 2027, will roll out a series of outreach tools. Residents will receive print and digital materials, while a neighborhood “champions” program will train volunteers to educate their neighbors about sorting and recycling. The city will also launch a bin‑tagging initiative that will let households easily identify the correct containers for different materials.
“Recycling is an essential part of keeping our landfills from filling up,” said Robyn Landes, an AmeriCorps Resilience Fellow with South Portland’s Sustainability Department. “We can’t lose sight of recycling. Let’s do more to extend the life of our landfills.”
The grant also supports the city’s free food‑waste program. Five drop‑off sites around town will accept household food scraps, a strategy that could move more than 2,000 tons of material out of the waste stream each year. Residents can also take food‑related plastic films to local grocery stores for recycling.
South Portland’s push comes against a backdrop of statewide landfill shortages. The Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town, which processes roughly half of Maine’s solid waste, is projected to reach capacity by 2028. State officials have identified three options for managing the looming shortage: ship waste out of state, build new landfills, or increase recycling and diversion. “The last option is the most cost‑effective and ecologically just,” a spokesperson for the department said.
The city’s recycling efforts are already gaining traction. In 2025, the Swap Shop—an on‑site exchange of goods—recorded more than 10,000 visits between April and November. Other community hubs, such as the Electric Tool Library and local repair fairs, are also fostering a culture of reuse.
Maine is adding an extra incentive for municipalities to boost recycling. Starting in 2027, the new Packaging Stewardship Program will reimburse towns based on the amount of packaging they recycle, turning higher diversion rates into additional revenue for the city.
The Sustainability Department’s plan also includes a film‑recycling drop‑off at grocery stores, a simple step that could keep plastic film out of the landfill.
With the grant in hand and a clear path laid out, South Portland is positioning itself to keep the community’s recycling rate well above the state’s current 26% figure while protecting the region’s limited landfill space. The city’s officials say the work is just beginning, but they remain confident that collective action can extend the life of Maine’s landfills for years to come.
