Twin Cities officials are warning against early trash piles left curbside in anticipation of spring cleanup.

“It’s still a couple of weeks away, and we’d trying to encourage people not to put them out yet,” said Sid Hazelton, assistant public works director.

In Lewiston, Spring Cleanup continues on April 17, the Tuesday following Patriots Day.

In Auburn, the curbside household waste collections begin the following week, on April 23. That’s after a two-year hiatus. City Councilors ended the collection following the 2004 collection in an effort to trim the budget.

Waste that’s left out too early costs the city money, Hazelton said.

“It’s more likely to get rained on and saturated,” he said. “We’re charged by how many tons of trash we collect. If it’s saturated, it weighs a lot more and it costs us a lot more to dispose of.”

It also looks messier.

“The longer it sits out, the more likely it is to get strewn around,” he said. “We don’t want it out there now.”

There are alternatives, he said.

“It doesn’t all have to be thrown away,” he said. “If there is a way that people can use it, there are people that will want it.”

Both the Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries collect good condition rugs, furniture, sporting equipment and appliances. Those can be taken to drop-off points or picked up. The Salvation Army can be reached at 784-2366 and Goodwill Industries can be contacted at 783-1702.

Androscoggin County also has Building Materials Exchange, at 102 Lisbon St. in Lisbon. That group accepts donated used and leftover building materials – including paint, hardware, furniture and appliances. Those items are sold to low income families to help with renovations.

“So if something still has some value, its own outlet for using it and not letting it go to waste,” Hazelton said.

If the waste must go, both cities make arrangements for residents to bring it in themselves. Lewiston offers a $10 punch pass, available to residents that get trash collections at home. It lets residents and property owners bring up to three tons of solid waste to the city’s landfill year round.

“So the point is, if you can’t get your trash together for the spring, you can bring it in when you are ready – whether it’s summer or fall,” said Rob Stalford, the city’s superintendent of solid waste.

Hazelton said Auburn residents can bring their bulky waste to Mid-Maine Waste Action Corporation’s complex from April 16 to May 12. MMWAC’s attendants will accept any items that can be left curbside – except for brush or tires.