BRUNSWICK — There’s a tough financial reality for recycling programs across the country: earning less on the sale of materials and paying more to process what residents put in their recycling bins. 

Brunswick isn’t immune to the national trend.

Town Manager John Eldridge’s municipal budget proposal would change the way the town’s recyclables are processed and save $40,000 a year if town councilors decided to stop recycling all materials, including metal, plastic and paper. 

“The processing of recyclable materials is getting more expensive and the town could save a pretty good chunk of change if we landfilled those items,” Eldridge said.

According to Eldridge, there is $332,000 in the budget for processing recyclables and trash for the current fiscal year, estimating the cost at $80 per ton. Because of the cost of recycling has gone up to $120 a ton, $470,000 is being budgeted for fiscal year 2020.

A public hearing for the municipal budget was scheduled for May 2, after The Forecaster’s deadline.