MAINE, Maine — We've driven by them for weeks. They've served their purpose. So, what's next for all those political signs?
Under a Maine law passed in 2020, temporary signs, which include campaign signs, placed in public right-of-way areas can be up for six weeks from Jan. 1 to June 30 and another six weeks between July 1 and Dec. 31.
The same law requires each sign to be labeled with its owner’s name, address, and the date it was put up so they can be tracked.
Depending on when you put your sign up, you may need to remove them soon. NEWS CENTER Maine spoke with some town and city officials in 2022 who said that most local candidates remove their signs in the week after the election.
Signs on private property can stay up for as long as the landowner wants.
Some cities and towns may collect unwanted campaign signs as well.
Ecomaine shared some tips on what to do with those unwanted signs. The environmental organization, that focuses on long-term solid waste solutions suggests reusing signs for future campaigns, if possible. You could also repurpose signs for birthdays, yard sales, parties, etc.
According to the organization, you can also use the metal stakes from the signs to be used for climbing plants in your garden, or they can be dropped off in the scrap metal bin at your local transfer station.
Most of the signs we see are made of a combination of plastic, or carboard materials, which can't be recycled. However, paper signs can be recycled.