A letter to the council has spurred renewed interest in the town's recycling program.

Last month, Barrington resident Cindy Pierce wrote to the council with concerns about recycling pick-up in town: "On garbage/recycling pick up day, there are always various sized bags and containers overflowing with recycling which invariably get knocked over and/or blown about, causing much of the recycling to blow around the neighborhood and into yards and green spaces."

Ms. Pierce wrote that the green recycling bins most residents use are too small "and don't encourage recycling!"

"I understand that we as a town are not switching to the large bins with the automated arm, but I wish there were a better alternative," she added.

Barrington officials say there is an alternative: Stickers. 

The town has created "Extra Recycling" stickers that people can place on trash barrels that they then fill with recycling. The stickers are free and are available at the department of public works headquarters on Upland Way and at the town hall.

The new stickers are just part of the town's renewed interest in the recycling program. Barrington Town Council President Michael Carroll said his board will further discuss the recycling program and how it can be improved at the July 30 council meeting.

"We can always do better in terms of recycling," said Mr. Carroll. "There are some people who don't recycle at all."

The council president said there are plenty of reasons to try to improve the town's recycling program. For starters, it's good for the environment. Mr. Carroll said it's also a smart fiscal decision. The town must pay tipping fees for each load of trash dumped at the landfill in Johnston, and those tipping fees recently increased. But recycling is free — in fact, the town is paid a portion of the proceeds when the Rhode Island Resource and Recovery Corporation sells recycled material.

Mr. Carroll said when residents take the time to recycle instead of dumping items in the trash, they can directly impact the town budget. 

"It's not just good for the environment, it's good for our wallets," he said.

Town officials reportedly considered using larger recycling bins to improve the recycling rate, but eventually opted to stay with the smaller totes. Barrington Department of Public Works Director Alan Corvi said there are few reasons that the totes make better sense. He said many residents only need the smaller bins and would struggle to get the large bins to the curbside for pickup.

"The totes are better for some of our older residents," he said. 

Mr. Corvi said the smaller bins also allow the recycling pick-up crews a better look at what's being tossed in the hopper. If the workers see something that doesn't belong in the bin, they will leave it out, potentially saving a full load of recycling. 

Mr. Corvi said the recycling facility in Johnston is "looking for good, clean recycling." If workers at the facility see anything non-recyclable in a load that's being dropped, they will very likely reject the load. A rejected load must be dumped at the landfill, which results in tipping fees charged to the town.

"It makes sense to stick with the (small green) totes," Mr. Corvi said. 

Barrington has established itself as one of the top recycling communities in the state, said Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha. But he believes more can be done, and the "Extra Recycling" stickers are a good start. Mr. Cunha said the stickers should be placed on barrels that are no larger than 33 gallons and weigh no more than 50 pounds.

The town manager also wants to see increased use of the town's recycling center. The facility — it's located on Upland Way, just north of the DPW headquarters — has updated its hours of operation and is open to all people. 

"We want to promote the recycling center," he said. 

Mr. Cunha said a better recycling program in Barrington, and around the rest of the state, will mean a better, cleaner environment. He said he has walked the shoreline at Latham Park in Bay Spring and regularly sees debris washed up on the beaches and rocks. 

"I think we need to look at how we deal with Styrofoam and I think we need to look at how we deal with plastic straws," he said. 

Years ago, Barrington became the first community in Rhode Island to pass legislation banning the use of single-use plastic shopping bags. Mr. Cunha added: "What's the next step?"

What you can recycle

According to the town's website, the following items can be placed curbside or brought to the Barrington Recycling Center on Upland Way:

• Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, magazines, books

• Glass beverage containers

• Plastic soda bottles, milk containers, drink boxes

• Aluminum cans, tin cans

• Junk mail

• White goods (metal)

• Used cooking oil is collected at the recycling center

• Motor oil and oil filters can be brought to the recycling center

• Paint is not accepted at the recycling center

Hours of operation

The Barrington Recycling Center is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon. The center is closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.

No more Styrofoam

Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha said the town no longer accepts Styrofoam for recycling. He said the company that the town used to contract with for recycling Styrofoam is no longer conducting that business.