DEAR SUN SPOTS: What does the city of Auburn do with its recycling? I’ve noticed the crews are no longer sorting it on the truck. — Peter, Auburn

ANSWER: For an answer to this question, Sun Spots turned to Nick Labbe, operations manager for Auburn Public Works, who wrote:

“The city of Auburn delivers its recycled materials to the city of Lewiston’s transfer location. Lewiston operates a zero-sort recycling program with all of the material going to a Casella facility for sorting/processing.

“Since Auburn currently has only this location to deliver its recycling product to, we do not sort the items on the truck.

“The Auburn City Council will be reviewing the recycling program in the upcoming year, so more information will be available in regards to recycling in the city.

“I am attaching a link that explains zero-sort recycling and Casella’s process: http://tinyurl.com/82us5w5”

Sun Spots visited that link, where she watched a promotional video from Casella, which was founded in Rutland, Vt., and now serves much of New England, about how easy single-sort recycling is. There was also some video of the machines that actually do the recycling. These machines are amazing. They take all these little bits of paper, plastic, cardboard, metal, etc., and sort them into bales of recyclable materials.

Sun Spots never thought she’d see the day when machines could do this. In the early days of recycling she went to a plant where she saw workers sitting in front of an enormous mountain of glass bottles, sorting green glass, brown glass, white glass, over and over.

Now the workers at the zero-sort facilities run the machines and troubleshoot problems rather than doing the sorting themselves.

In Maine, 21 communities got together and run a similar facility, ecomaine, and other communities send their recycling to them as well. You can learn more about this nonprofit at www.ecomaine.org.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Mexico High School Class of 1982 will hold its 30th class reunion on Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Poland Spring Resort, Poland Spring.

The reunion will begin on Friday, Aug. 10, with a casual get-together at the Oxford Casino for those interested.

On Saturday, Aug. 11, social hour will begin at 6 p.m. at the Poland Spring Inn Water Museum, followed by a class photo and a buffet dinner. DJ and classmate Dan Richard will provide entertainment throughout the evening with dancing from 8 to 12 p.m.

Informational mailings have been sent out. Any information leading to the location of the following classmates would be greatly appreciated: Debbie Richard Cullins, Mike Ryerson, Cheryl Richard Lewis, Susan Hallagin, and Mark Richard.

Please email or call me with information on the above-listed classmates or with questions about the event. — Lisa Tutlis Arsenault, [email protected], 364-2403

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Thank you for running the June 7 letter from Artios used books, which is looking for volunteers to help out in the store in exchange for books. Unfortunately, it included the wrong phone number. It should be 786-4007.

Artios is at 180 Turner St. in Auburn. Thanks. — Dot via email

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