Recycling programs are struggling. One reason is that materials that could be recycled end up as trash because of incorrect recycling. Sun Journal photo by Russ Dillingham

AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Environmental Protection no longer has a comprehensive list of town recycling rates, but it does have reported data from many communities, Carol Cifrino of the DEP Division of Materials Management said.

Below is a recycling comparison. A good statewide average, Cifrino said, is about 30%. That is far from the 50% state goal set in 1989.

Maine’s successful bottle bill, which sets a refundable deposit on cans and bottles, does add about 5% more to what is recycled, bringing the statewide average to about 35%. But beverage cans and bottles are not counted in municipal rates.

Statewide average: 30%

Auburn, 8%

Augusta, 6%

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Bangor, 4.3% (2016)

Bowdoinham, 49.6%

Bridgton, 23.2%

Casco, 37.6%

Cumberland, 25.2%

Durham, 25.3%

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Gray, 16.9%

Greene, 28%

Jay, 11.9%

Lewiston, 8%

Naples, 38.5%

New Sharon, 15% (2016)

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Norway-Paris, 12.6%

Portland, 38.3%

Poland, 13.4%

Pownal, 41.8% (2016)

Raymond, 9.8% (2016)

Strong, 1.9%

Temple, 18%

Vienna, 31%

Sources: Municipalities, municipal reports to Maine Department of Environmental Protection and ecomaine 

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