ROCKPORT — Jim Guerra, manager of the Mid-Coast Solid Waste facility on Union Street in Rockport, said a new era has arrived for the community’s collective trash management practices. The nonprofit MCSWC’s board of directors agrees, and they are asking citizens of Camden, Hope, Lincolnville and Rockport to complete a survey so they can better understand recycling and trash disposal habits and preferences.

“We will be delivering our trash to ecomaine beginning in April 2018,” said Guerra. “In preparation for this change, the Mid-Coast Solid Waste Board of Directors is considering a redesign of the transfer station with the goal of managing costs and improving the environmental performance of both the facility and our community as a whole.”

MCSWC has created a citizen committee, the Mid-Coast Waste Watch. Those citizens — Alison McKellar, of Camden; Josh Gerritsen, of Lincolnville; Maggie Timmerman, of Rockport; Anna Sideris, of Camden; Dave Edwards, of Lincolnville; and Marci Annis Casas, of Rockport — are asking residents for feedback.

By participating in the survey, residents will have the opportunity to enter into a raffle of goods and services from local businesses.

Take the survey here: midcoastsolidwaste.org/survey

For those who prefer to fill out the survey by hand, paper copies are available at the transfer station gatehouse, off Union Street in Rockport, and at the town offices of Camden, Hope, Lincolnville and Rockport. Completed surveys can be returned to where they were picked up, or dropped at the gatehouse through the end March. After that, results will begin to be tabulated and reviewed by the committee.

“Your responses will help guide the development of our facility and our solid waste and recycling practices,” said Guerra.