2016-2017 Chelmsford Recycles
Your annual Recycling/Trash guide
Please retain all year!
Office of Recycling/Solid Waste
Department of Public Works, 9 Alpha rd.
www.townofchelmsford.us 978-250-5203
NO Plastic bags or Styrofoam in recycling bins
Plastic bags damage the recycle sorting machines and Styrofoam® contaminates sorted
recyclables making them less valuable to the vendor. (This includes plastic garbage bags, and
plastic supermarket bags even if they are marked with a recyclable symbol) The vendor has the
right to refuse to pickup of recyclables with contaminants.
WASTE BANS & TRASH LIMITS
Chelmsford strictly enforces trash limits (to keep our disposal costs down) and
waste bans (to keep recyclables out of the trash). Do not put recyclables in the
trash (see pp. 3-4), be sure to comply with the Town’s two barrel limit (p. 3) and rely
on this flyer all year for more ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.
FREE Electronics Recycling Drop-offs:
BestBuy offers FREE in-store recycling for
many home and office electronics—up to 3
items per household per day; . BESTBUY no
longer accepts TV’s for free, check their
website for updated information
www.bestbuy.com
* Remember, no bulky/oversized
collections on holiday weeks
For missed trash pick up
call Republic Services at:
1-800-442-9006
*Follow prompts for customer service
For missed recycling pick up
call Waste Management at:
1-800-972-4545
*Follow prompts for customer service
Chelmsford solid waste and
recycling office: 978-250-5203.
Recycle bins available at DPW please
call ahead to check for availability
Program for Electronics, Appliances, Tires.– Curbside pick up
Republic Services will collect appliances and other large metal
items, electronics and tires at the curb for a fee every two weeks.
1-800-442-9006 up to 5:00 p.m. the Friday before collection day
every other Monday. Payment must be made in advance (credit
card, check or money order) to Republic Services, 385 Dunstable
Road, Tyngsboro, MA 01879. Once payment is processed it will not
be refunded. Items must be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on collection day. To avoid
breakage by vandals do NOT put TVs out until the morning scheduled for
collection.




Table of
contents:
Page 2
Recycling
calendar,
contact
information
Page 3
Trash &
recycling
guidelines
Page 4
What & what
not to
recycle at the
curb
Page 5
Yard waste, construction debris
Page 6
Mercury,
hazardous
waste, batteries
and electronics
Page 7
Donation
options, books,
moving info.,
paint, metal,
Freecycle,
propane tanks,
CDs & DVDs,
medical sharps,
unwanted meds
Prices for July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017:
Large metal items and appliances without freon: ; $17.85
Appliances with Freon (refrigerators, freezers, ACs, etc.): $30.45
CRTs/TVs/monitors: up to 24” $17.85; over 24” $30.45
Small Electronics & Tires: $6.30 each
Disclaimer: Information in this flyer is current as of the time of printing but is subject to change always call ahead for fees, hours and services. Also, with the exception of Republic Services
and Waste Management the companies listed herein are not endorsed by the Town nor
operating on its behalf, and residents are responsible for verifying their reliability.
July 1st, 2016– June 30th, 2017 Trash and Recycle Calendar.
July 2016
August 2016
September 2016
October 2016
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
8
9
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9 10 11 12 13
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
8
9 10
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
28 29 30 31
25 26 27 28 29 30
30 31
November 2016
December 2016
January 2017
February 2017
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
5
4
5
6
7
3
8
9 10
1
2
4
5
6
7
5
6
7
2
3
4
8
9 10 11
8
9 10 11 12
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
8
9 10 11 12 13 14
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
26 27 28
27 28 29 30
3
1
2
7
4
2
1
6
3
1
29 30 31
March 2017
April 2017
May 2017
June 2017
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
8
9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Recycling is collected every other
week on trash day. Call 978-250-5203 for
your trash/recycling day & to find out if
you’re on the red or blue recycling route.
Weeks shaded red are for
red route recycling weeks
Weeks shaded blue are for
blue route recycling
Circles denote weekday holiday
observances. No collections on
these days, one day delay the rest
of the week, & no oversized items
collected on holiday weeks.
Trash and recycling must be out
by 6:30 a.m. regardless of the time
the trucks usually come. Please do
not block sidewalks or mailboxes.
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
8
9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
Important Dates for 2016-2017
Brush drop off at Community Tree 163 Billerica Rd.
9am-1pm October 15th 2016, May 6th 2017 See Pg. 5
Fluorescent Bulb Shed: Open 9am to 6:30pm the first
Wed. April through Nov. See p. 6.
Medical Sharps Collections: Sept. 14, 2016, Dec. 14,
2016, April 12 2017. 9am to 4pm. Register in advance
with the Board of Health, 978-250-5241
Household Hazardous Waste Day: Sat. April 29, 2017
9:00 to 1:00, lower lot, Town Offices. See p 6.
Community Shred day– September 10th 2016 and May
13th 2017. Behind town offices 9am-1pm
Remember, no bulky/oversized collections on
holiday weeks
2
Recycling and Trash Guidelines
Recycling
There is no limit on the amount of recycling you
may put out. See p. 4 for what to recycle.
Containers: use trash-type barrels (up to 64 gallons)
clearly marked for recycling (free stickers from
Recycling Office) or recycling bins (2 free bins
per household while supplies last). There is no
limit on the number of containers of recycling
you may put out but each container should
weigh no more than 50 lbs. For information on
getting stickers call 978-250-5203.
Time: Recycling must be at curb by 6:30 a.m,
every other week on your trash day. (See
calendar, p. 2).
Trash
Trash Limit: Up to TWO (2) 32 gallon barrels/bags and up to one oversized item*
per week. Trash in excess of the limit will
not be collected unless it is in Town overflow bags available at: Agway (Maple
Rd.), Chelmsford Lumber (Boston Rd),
North Chelmsford Hardware (Vinal
Square), Hannaford (Drum Hill), and Stop
& Shop and Walgreens on Chelmsford St.
Containers: Barrels or bags up to 32 gallons. The hauler is not required to empty
containers larger than 32 gallons in
capacity.
Time: Trash must be at curb by 6:30 a.m.
Set out requirements:
Set out requirements: Barrels/bags must
 ALL recyclables (see page 4) can be in the
not weigh over 50 pounds; barrels must
same containers—no need to sort, no limit on not be filled over 3 inches above the top.
number of containers you may put out.
*Oversized items include
 Corrugated cardboard—flatten; cut very
tables, couches, chairs & mattresses but
large pieces to about 3’ x 3’ and place in,
do NOT include banned items (see beunder or between recycling containers.
low) or excessively large or heavy items.
No oversized items on holiday weeks (see
calendar p. 2).
Leave at least 3 feet between
Items BANNED from the trash include the following:
 Electronics, tires, appliances, large metal items (grills, lawn mowers, snow blowers, car parts, exercise equipment, etc.): call Republic Services 1-800-442-9006 for fee-based curbside collection
and see 7pg (metal)
 Cell phones, MP3 players, PDAs: bring to boxes to Town Office lower level
 Yard waste (leaves, grass, brush etc.) and Christmas trees: see p. 5 for options.
 Construction/demolition debris: see p. 5 for disposal options, p. 7 for options for usable items.
 Hazardous waste & mercury products such as fluorescent bulbs: see p. 6 & p. 2 for calendar.
 Rechargeable and button batteries: bring button cell (in hearing aids, watches, etc.) and rechargeable batteries (in phones, laptops, etc.) to boxes outside Recycling Office. Vehicle batteries—bring to Household Hazardous Waste day (p. 6). Alkaline batteries can go in the trash.
 Cardboard: No trash in cardboard boxes and no cardboard in the trash except contaminated
cardboard such as messy pizza boxes (trash or compost them). Recycle all clean cardboard!
 Medical sharps: see p. 7
3
P
A
P
E
R
M
I
L
K
/
J
U
I
C
E
GOOD TO RECYCLE
DO NOT RECYCLE-GOES IN TRASH
Books - soft cover and hardcover (remove hard cover)
Boxes (shoe, cereal, egg, gift, tubes, etc.) – remove
liners/plastic bags
Colored and construction paper
Corrugated cardboard boxes (flatten & cut to 3’x 3’)
Junk mail, newspapers and inserts
Magazines, catalogs, phone books
Office paper, envelopes, folders, post-its, computer
paper, notebooks (staples, paper clips, labels,
stamps, window envelopes, notebook spirals are
all okay)
Paper bags
Pizza boxes – CLEAN portions ONLY
Shredded paper (in paper bags stapled/taped shut)
Carbon paper
Foil-type wrapping paper
Ice cream containers
Napkins
Paper plates or paper cups
Paper towels
Photographs
Plastic straws
Tissues
Waxed paper
Soiled paper or cardboard contaminated with
food or grease (such as pizza boxes)
Milk and juice cartons/boxes
Paper containers that held liquids
Ice cream cartons
Remove straws from juice boxes and lids from
Cartons.
Recycle lids if they have recycling symbols.
Plastic pour spouts are okay.
Aerosol cans – empty
M Aluminum foil and pans – clean
E Cans – food and beverage, tin, aluminum, steel and
mixed metal
T
Deposit
and non-deposit cans
A
L
Plastic containers with one of these symbols:
P
L
A
S
T
I
C
G
L
A
S
S
Bottles – soda, water, sports drink, juice and milk
Yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese,
margarine/butter
Deli tubs
Egg clear plastic cartons
Dressing/condiment
Shampoo, soap, hygiene and detergent – rinse
Remove lids (recycle lids if they have a recycling
symbol).
Flatten if possible so more can fit in the truck
Clear bottles and jars
Colored bottles and jars
Deposit and non-deposit bottles
Rinse well. Labels and neck rings are okay.
Cylinders/tanks (propane)
Engine parts
Paint cans
Plumbing parts
Pots and pans (consider donation)
Scrap metal
See pp. 6-7 for options.
Plastic bags (even with the recycling symbol—
recycle at supermarkets, NOT curbside)
Plastic without a recycle symbol
hazardous waste containers
plastic cutlery
toys
plastic furniture
packaging
Styrofoam®—even with the recycling symbol is NOT accepted curbside
Packing peanuts – take to the UPS store on
Drum Hill Road—978-454-4700, or put
Styrofoam® in the trash
Broken glass
Ceramics
Drinking glasses
Light bulbs
Pyrex
Window glass
4
Yard Waste and Composting
Leaves and grass clippings
are banned from the trash.




Brush and Branches
Let brush degrade in your yard: Do not stack more than
2 feet high or in such a manner that the Fire Department will
presume it will be burned; do not stack within 20 feet of a
Jones Farm, 246 Acton Road, 978road, or within 40 feet of a highway, another person’s prop256-8065 offers fee-based leaf col- erty, town owned land or wetlands. Brush may be burned
lection/drop-off. Bagged leaves
with a permit Jan. 15 through April 30 -call 978-250-5265.
MUST be in Jones Farm bags!
Chip brush: Make your own wood chips—buy, borrow or
rent (Taylor Rental 978-937-5544) a chipper.
Leave grass clippings on the lawn: info. Free Town brush drop-offs: Fall date October 15th 2016,
www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/
from 9:00 to 1:00 , Community Tree, 163 Billerica Road,
Chelmsford for brush/branches up to 6 inches in diameter &
Contact a local landscaper
8 feet in length. Rope, wire, bags, etc. must be removed by
resident. The spring date is May 6th 2017. If you miss the
Compost leaves and grass clipdrop-off, take brush to Community Tree for a fee all year —
pings (plus kitchen scraps):
978-256-0341.
Construction/Demolition Debris (including carpeting & windows)
Dumpster rentals: For home improvement projects and clean outs that go beyond the
towns curbside trash collection program call Republic Services(1-800-442-9006) for
vendor preferred pricing on dumpster rental for Chelmsford residents
Tips for disposing other items
Carpets – Trash. Cut into 3’ strips, tie or tape in rolls up to 12” inches in diameter - 5 rolls per week.
Cell Phones, MP3 Players – banned from trash. Bring them to boxes outside Town Office lower level
Ceramics – trash.
Christmas Trees - are NOT collected by the Town’s hauler: Sign-up in advance for pick-up for a donation
by Boy Scout Troop 70 (978-764-8377 or www.troopseventy.com) or take to Community Tree (see above)
for a donation to the Scouts.
Fire Extinguishers – take to Fire and Safety Corp, Tyngsboro, 978-649-4945
Ice Cream Cartons – Trash.
Metal Items, Large - Call Republic Services, 1-800-442-9006, for fee-based curbside collection of
appliances/large metal items. Also there are scrap metal dealers who may take your metal items for no
charge— (call first to make sure they want what you have).
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors – remove batteries then dispose in trash
Styrofoam - Styrofoam®—even with a recycling symbol is NOT accepted in our curbside program. Take
clean packing peanuts to the UPS store on Drum Hill Road—978-454-4700, or put Styrofoam® in the trash.
Thermometers– If they are mercury (grey in color) bring to Town Offices, Board of Health. Free digital thermometer replacement while supplies last.
Tires – Republic Services will collect appliances and other large metal items, electronics and tires at the curb
for a fee every two weeks. 1-800-442-9006
Toilets - separate tank from seat if possible.
Tub/Shower Fiberglass - cut into pieces that can be handled by the haulers and put at curb with trash.
TVs/CRTs/Video Monitors – BestBuy offers in-store recycling for TVs and many other home and office
electronics, up to three items per household per day. For TV collection see Tires. To avoid breakage by
vandals do NOT put TVs out until the morning scheduled for collection.
Windows – Trash. Cover glass with tape completely on both sides—up to 3 windows per week.
Please call the recycling office for additional questions
978-250-5203
Every ton of paper we recycle saves about 17 trees. Last year Chelmsford saved over 45,000 trees! 5
Mercury
Mercury is toxic. State law prohibits the disposal of mercury and mercury added products in the trash. This includes: fluorescent bulbs, mercury thermometers
and thermostats; button batteries; blood pressure cuffs; neon bulbs; electrical
switches; flat panel computer monitors, TVs and other devices with backlit
screens like hand held video games, portable DVD players, etc.
What to do with mercury added products:





Fluorescent bulbs: The mercury light bulb shed will be open at the town offices the first
Wednesday of the month April-November .
Mercury thermometers, thermostats, switches: bring to Town Offices (Board of Health).
Free digital thermometer replacement while supplies last.
Button batteries: bring to Recycling Office or Senior Center for recycling.
Elemental mercury & other mercury devices: call the Recycling Office 978-2505203.
TVs, monitors, video game monitors: Call Republic Services 1-800-442-9006 for
fee-based collection
Household Hazardous Waste
Household Hazardous Waste day: Saturday April 29, 2017, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Lower Lot, Town Offices, 50 Billerica Road. Fees charged for some items—call
978-250-5241.
Bring proof of residency and:
Do NOT bring:
drain openers, oven cleaners, hobby/photography chemicals,
metal or furniture polish, lithium batteries, Nickel/Cadmium
batteries, lithium ion batteries, antifreeze, car/boat batteries,
brake fluid, degreasers, driveway sealers, polishes and waxes,
transmission fluid, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, pesticides,
pool chemicals, rodent poisons, weed killers, epoxies, adhesives, oil paint, paint thinner, solvents, stains, varnishes, wood
strippers & preservatives, motor oil (note state law requires MA
retailers that sell motor oil to accept used oil for recycling with
receipt), etc.
infectious or biologic materials, radioactive materials, Silvex, THerbicides/ 2-3-4 Herbicides, unidentified materials, water reactive
materials (contact Board of Health
978-250-5241 for disposal suggestions), ammunition, fireworks or explosives, latex paint (p. 7), propane
tanks (p. 7), electronics (p. 1 and
below).
Missed Chelmsford’s Household Hazardous Waste day?





Minuteman Regional Hazardous Products Facility, Lexington. July 16th, August 13th, Sunday
September 18th*, October 15th, November 12th. Spring 2017 dates TBA. Call Recycling Office
978-250-5203 at least 1 week in advance to pre-register & avoid fees.
ABCs of Batteries
Alkaline (e.g., toy and flashlight) batteries: go in the trash.
Button cell, rechargeable and lithium batteries : bring to the Recycling Office .
Car, boat, sealed lead acid batteries: Household hazardous waste day or call DPW 978250-5203
Staples recycles rechargeable batteries; and the town office and recycling office
6
Donate Usable Household Goods To:
Boy Scout Troop 74 accepts household goods,
tools, outdoor equipment, books, toys, games, etc.
IN GOOD CONDITION for its Giant Yard Sale.
Drop-offs are from 9:00-12:00 on
Oct 1st 2016, Nov 5th 2016, March 25 2017 April 22
2017, at the Central Congregational Church
parking lot 1 Worthen St. Call 978-935-9474 or visit
www.giantyardsale.org for more information.
Habitat for Humanity Restore accepts new & gently
used building materials & household goods, 440
Middlesex Rd, Tyngsboro, MA , (978) 649-1177

Other donation options:
Mass. Coalition for the Homeless 781-595-7570 ext. 13
Salvation Army
800-958-7825; 603-880-0271
Goodwill Industries
617-628-3618; 603-742-4299
St. Vincent De Paul
800-675-2882; 978-453-7750
Big Brother Big Sister
800-483-5503
Household Goods Recycling
978-635-1763
Good Will drop off location: 299
Chelmsford ST, open 7 days a week
8-4:30. Televisions or any thing that
uses gas or oil will NOT be accepted
Usable Books
Friends of the Library Book Sale: donate
good condition books, usable CDs/DVDs,
maps & recent text books (no older than 4
years) for book sale (end of September).
drop-off box at library
www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/friends/booksale.html for
drop off times and more info.
Unusable CDs, DVDs: Take to CD Recycling Center of
America in Salem NH. Call 603-894-5553 or go to
www.CDrecyclingcenter.org for more information.
Propane Tanks





Chelmsford Agway 978-256-9991;
Taylor Rental 978-937-5544;
Colonial Oil 978-256-0151;
Minuteman Facility for 1 lb. tanks (p. 6).
Moving, spring cleaning?
Plan ahead!
If you’ll have extra trash, be
sure to buy Town overflow trash
bags before trash day (see p. 3
for stores). Remember: only
one bulk item per week and none on holiday weeks (see calendar p. 2). Donate
usable goods (see left) or Freecycle
(below left). Please leave your bins and
this flyer for the new occupants. If you are
staying in Chelmsford, get new bins at
Recycling Office .
NO extra trash will be collected without overflow
bags
Fire Extinguishers: Take to Fire And Safety
Corp, Tyngsboro, 978-649-4945.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
may be disposed of in the trash (remove
rechargeable batteries first—see p. 6).
Latex Paint
Latex paint is NOT hazardous waste. Dry it
completely in can (if necessary, use
paint hardener or kitty litter). When
it is 100% dry, put up to 5
cans/week out with lids off next to
trash for collection as bulk item.
(For oil paint see options on p. 6.)
Large Metal Items
Call Republic Services,1-800-442-9006, for
fee-based curbside collection of appliances/large metal items. Also there are scrap
metal dealers who may take
your metal items for no charge—
(call first to make sure they want
what you have).
Max Levine’s and Co.,
Tanner St., Lowell
978-454-7786
Medical waste: Sharps Disposal Program:
Needles, syringes with needles, lancets,
and empty and full Epi-pens will be collected at the Board of Health on 9/14/16; 12/14/16 and
4/12/17 from 9 to 4. Pre-register at least two weeks in advance to avoid fees. Call 978-250-5241
for more information.
7
Town of Chelmsford
Office of Recycling/Solid Waste
Town Offices
50 Billerica Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824
Presorted Standard
CAR-RT Sort
U.S. Postage
PAID
Chelmsford, MA 01824
Permit No. 44
Residential Customer
Local, 01863
Waste Reduction and Recycling at Multi-family Properties:
Multi-family properties with dumpsters and toters: Trash capacity has been set so as to provide 64
gallons/unit/week—extra pick-ups will be paid for by the property owner or manager! To make
sure that doesn’t happen, RECYCLE! Prepare recyclables according to instructions on page 4.
Cardboard boxes MUST be flattened. Never park in front of trash or recycling dumpsters or
recycling toters. No Styrofoam® and NO PLASTIC BAGS in recycling!
Multi-family properties with curbside collection: Set trash out separately from that
of the other units so the hauler can see you’re within the limits. Contact the
Recycling Office at 978-250-5203 to get multi-family barrel stickers to mark your
barrels (proof of address required).
If you’re coming to the Town Offices:
 Bring rechargeable and button cell batteries and cell phones and printer to the boxes outside
the Rm. LL04;
 Bring mercury thermometers (free digital replacement while supplies last) and mercury thermostats to the Recycling Office, Board of Health or Clerk’s Office;
 Bring small fluorescent light bulbs . Bring intact CFLs to Recycling Office any time;
 Bring unwanted eye glasses to Lions Club box outside Clerk’s Office;
 Pick up recycling stickers or get bins at Recycling Office.


Help Us increase our recycling rate from 24% to 30% and save the town money!
Visit http://www.chelmsfordrecycles.com/ for tips on how to start more effectively
recycling today
8