This biweekly column tries to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about recycling, composting and the town's solid waste program.

Q: I would like to dispose of some standard stockade fencing, which might be pressure treated wood. What can I do with it?

A: This is a complicated problem. If the wood is still usable, try to save it for other projects, or give it to friends who might be able to use it. If it is not pressure treated wood, the disposal method is the same as for any scrap wood. Make small bundles of wood cut to lengths no longer than 3 feet. One bundle per week can be put out as a bulky item.

There are various types of pressure treatment. The old fashioned creosote covered wood can be safely incinerated. The pressure treated wood that has a greenish tinge is probably preserved with chromated copper arsenate. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the EPA suggest not disposing of CCA in an incinerator (which is how Lexington deals with our trash) due to the hazardous effects of the heavy metals in the ash residue. The arsenic component can become a vapor that escapes into the air, although the Wheelabrator incinerator tries to keep from releasing much into the atmosphere. The best solution might be to hire a private hauler to take it to a commercial construction and demolition waste landfill, but this can be expensive.

Q. Environmentally, is it better to return deposit bottles or recycle them?

A: The bottles (and aluminum cans) will go to a recycling facility in either case. If you put the items into the bin rather than returning them to the store, the deposit that you forfeit will go into the state's Clean Environment Fund, a source of funding that the Legislature appropriates for municipal solid waste management and recycling programs.

Reminders:

While you're drooling over seed catalogues or wishing for a green lawn, start thinking about ways to avoid pesticides, compost more yard waste, and landscape using plants native to the area rather than exotics.

The Minuteman library system has many books about organic gardening. A book that they unfortunately don't have but that you might be able to find is "Chemical Free Lawn" by Warren Schultz ISBN 0 97857-801-3. For information on native plants, see http://www.wildflower.org/npin/in dex.html or the New England Wildflower Society at 508-877-7630.

Remember not to put plastic bags into the recycle bin.

Got a question or a suggestion? You can reach us by calling the League of Women Voters line at 781-861-0123 or by e-mail at lexrecycles@hotmail.com. For more information, check out the SWAT Web page at http://www.lexingtonma.org/swat/HomePage.htm, the PAYT home page at http://ci.lexington.ma.us (click on the PAYT quicklink) or call the PAYT number: 781-274-7298.