The Town of Holden is in Penobscot County, where the public safety departments and citizens work diligently to keep it the safest stretch of Route 1A.  Holden residents enjoy a rural way of life, boast numerous vital businesses right in town and are in very close proximity to surrounding cities.

Information on Town wide Revaluation *Click Here*

Changes are Coming to Holden’s Solid Waste Collection

The landscape of municipal solid waste management is evolving, and Holden's waste collection processes will be changing as well. With the expiration of our long-term contract with Casella, we must adapt to new methods of collection and increased costs.

For decades, Holden has operated a "Pay-as-you-throw" program where residents purchase $2.00 stickers from the Town Office or local stores. These stickers are placed around the top of each trash bag set out for curbside collection. While some residents appreciated this system for its fairness—paying only for what they use—others have expressed a preference for funding waste collection through property taxes. 

Historically, revenue from the sticker program nearly covered the costs of waste collection and disposal. However, with the end of our locked-in rate under the Casella contract, costs will inevitably rise. Compounding this, the waste collection industry has shifted toward using side-load bins, which are safer and more efficient for haulers. Many neighboring communities, including Bangor, Old Town, Orono, and Hermon, have already adopted this standard, with more towns coming this summer.

What Does This Mean for Holden?

Starting on or before July 1st, Holden will phase out the pay-as-you-throw sticker program, we encourage residents to purchase stickers wisely as we will not have a buyback program for unused stickers.  Casella will distribute 96-gallon or 64-gallon carts to each household located on public roads along with the rules and regulations for collection. For homes on private roads, trash will be collected using rack-body trucks, as side-load trucks are too large to navigate some private roads.

If you would like to see the new carts before they are delivered, both sizes will be on display at the Town Office.

With this change, waste collection and disposal will no longer be funded through sticker sales. Instead, costs will be covered through property taxes, aligning with requests from many residents over the years.

We appreciate your understanding as we transition to this new system, which is designed to improve efficiency and safety for our community. Please visit our website or Facebook page for the latest updates. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Town Office at (843) 5151. We are here to help!