Given the relative lack of value to the “dollar,” encouraging those who do roadside clean-up, either to town roads or the State’s highways through Adopt a Highway, to deliver full bags of collected debris to a dump or recycling center is a waste of time and loss to the recyclers of the state.

On average, and depending on what road the debris is found on, each bag will contain one to ten aluminum cans, three to ten plastic #1 bottles in various colors, plus cigarette packs, coffee cups, glass bottles and jars, tin cans, snuff cans,  and occasional small portions of steel that falls off vehicles.

Of the items above, the aluminum cans and the Steel have intrinsic value if delivered to a scrap metal buyer. If, however, they are delivered to a dump or recycling center in New Hampshire, 99% of the bags will be dropped in the trash hopper, unopened. For the 1% of bags delivered that are opened by dump employees, the mix in paragraph two will be seen, and the content separated.

You choose what is done, both as roadside clean-up and as return for your volunteer labor, if delivered to a dump. I deem it as a loss to you.

I will pick up roadside clean-up bags full, sift and sort at home for eventual delivery to a dump, already segregated for recycling, while keeping the aluminum cans and the steel to be delivered to a scrap yard and “money” handed to me by that scrap yard, from purchase of those few items that have intrinsic value.

Addenda: Agony Hill Road has been cleaned, with one additional item found: a golf ball.