WILTON — The fact that the town is looking for the best way to increase trash recycling is reason for applause, Sandy River Recycling Association officials told selectmen this week.

Wilton’s Recycling Committee is currently researching a potential move to single-sort recycling to simplify the process for residents and increase recycling. That prompted association officials to respond with a presentation to the board. A one-year notice is needed from members intending to withdraw from the association.

Single-sort does not require separating different types of recyclables, making the process easier for residents. The recyclables are taken to private companies in Maine where they are sorted and sold.

Recent surveys at the town’s transfer station, showed a majority of those responding favored single-sort.

Reminding the board of Wilton’s 20-year history as a member of Sandy River Recycling Association, Jo Josephson, president of the board governing the organization, told selectmen, “You are us.”

The organization is owned by its 21 member towns and governed by representatives from each member town. Wilton has three votes on the board.

Josephson applauded Wilton’s recycling efforts while supplying the association’s annual report to board members. The helped form Sandy River Recycling Association after Maine’s first Solid Waste Management Law was passed in 1989, Josephson said.

At the time the law passed, Maine was recycling 17 percent of its solid waste and incinerating and using landfills for the rest. Today, Maine recycles about 35 percent of its waste, according to the association website.

The association collects, processes and markets recyclable wastes to regional mills, not out-of-state and not China, she said. It’s about creating a smaller environmental footprint and doing the right thing, she added.

“The sale of recyclables provides for a large percentage of SRRA’s operating income and capital expenses,” according to its website. The percentage is based on the recycling market.

The rest is covered by members based on the tonnage transported and processed by the association. Currently the towns are assessed $52 a ton, association manager Ron Slater said.

“Take a hard look at the numbers for single-sort,” Richard Doughty, an association board member from Weld, told the board. “It’s easier but you’re not going to save money.”

The association has recently listened to member towns’ requests and is accepting more than just No. 2 plastics, Josephson said. The organization is also looking at an effort taken by a similar organization in Oxford County to establish single-sort, she said.

The association expressed interest in providing a presentation for the Recycling Committee and to the public during the town’s annual meeting in June.

The committee will continue its research on the costs of needed equipment and any potential savings for a change to single-sort, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said.

“We’re looking at it,” she added.

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