To the editor:

Portsmouth residents, and in particular those patrons of the Portsmouth Transfer Station who took full advantage of the many disposal options available for them there, had over 500 tons of recyclable materials that were diverted from the state’s landfill in 2019. Outstanding!

This is an amazing achievement that every resident, as well as the users of the town’s transfer station, can be proud of and one which the town greatly appreciates. The positive aspects of these diversions benefit not only the environment, but also help our state landfill be a little less full, thereby extending the life of the landfill. 

Listed below are the total weights for some of the recyclable items that were diverted in 2019:

• Textiles/cloth at 175 tons

• Books at 5 tons

• Tires at 2.5 tons

• Electronic waste at 35 tons

• Shredded paper at 3.5 tons

• Hard plastic at 5 tons

• Metal at 136 tons

• Waste oil at 8.75 tons

• Household items at 56.7 tons

• Propane tanks at .5 tons

• Mattresses at 12.155 tons (442 mattresses)

In 2018, the Portsmouth Transfer Station had the highest diversion rate in the state at 56.4 percent, and the state’s second-highest recycling rate, at 39.1 percent.

Rhode Island’s 2019 report on how each city or town has done in the last calendar year is being finalized, so there is no statistical data yet available. However, with the tremendous recycling efforts of those using the town’s transfer station, I am confident that Portsmouth will once again find itself among those communities having the highest diversion and recycling rates.

Thank you to every Portsmouth resident for their participation in our recycling collection events and to all of you who use our town’s transfer station! 

Raymond Antaya

Portsmouth recycling coordinator

Portsmouth