At first look, the agreement between Casella Waste Systems and Waterford had our heads scratching.

Why would the waste company agree to transport recyclables somewhere – Lewiston – it could not?

Then again, we thought, why shouldn’t they?

Importing recyclables from nearby communities like Waterford is a far cry from out-of-state waste, which was the concern during the previous time Casella was before Lewiston government.

The city council, last year, voted against having Casella assume operations at the Lewiston solid waste facility. The company’s possible importation of out-of-state waste was the most powerful argument used by Casella opponents.

The council and community mandate was clear: Lewiston’s landfill is for locals’ use only. Whether this rule-of-thumb applies to recyclables should be a different story, because that material is much different than waste.

Encouraging recycling is a positive. For Lewiston’s facility to become a regional recycling hub, which could help boost recycling across Maine while offsetting expenses here in the city, seems a pretty good idea.

The Casella-Waterford-Lewiston story made a poor first impression.

Upon further review, though, it looks like something to consider.