I am very upset about the city of Auburn’s decision to cancel the recycling program. It was a very shortsighted decision.

Many of us recycled, and for good reasons. The city needed to do some education about the recycling program, not just cancel it.

In effect what the city did was to shift the cost of recycling from taxes residents paid for trash disposal to individual Auburn residents who now must spend their funds to take recycled materials to either the MMWAC (Mid-Maine Waste Action Corporation) facility or the city garage. Given the cost of gasoline these days, that is no small expense.

Now the city is adding insult to the extra costs by saying that recycled materials can only be delivered at specified times and placed in locked bins — not particularly convenient for working people. These limits are because too many people did bring the recycling to the designated bins.

Who is “the customer” here? Auburn citizens who are working to do the right thing or somebody else? And does it save money? I know that when I don’t take my recyclables, my “trash” is quite voluminous — as I throw out things instead of recycling. I imagine that costs more to the city.

Auburn should be a modern city and bring back curbside recycling. And tell Auburn residents how to use it.

Jane Morrison, Auburn