Chelmsford Announces New Recycling Plan

The Town has announced a new recycling plan.

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.

So now, Chelmsford is asking that residents keep recyclables out of the garbage bins.

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).

Set out requirements: ALL recyclables (see page 4) can be in the same containers—no need to sort, no limit on number of containers you may put out.
Corrugated cardboard—flatten; cut very large pieces to about 3’ x 3’ and place in, under or between recycling containers.

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: Barrels/bags must not weigh over 50 pounds; barrels must not be filled over 3 inches above the top.

*Oversized items include tables, couches, chairs & mattresses but do NOT include banned items (see be- low) or excessively large or heavy items. No oversized items on holiday weeks (see calendar p. 2)


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.

Construction/demolition debris.

Hazardous waste & mercury products such as fluorescent bulbs.

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. 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!