Trash Collection Day is Tuesday
Please place all items you would like the City to remove curb side by 7:00 a.m. on your trash day and not earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day prior to your trash day. The empty barrels need to be removed by 7:00 p.m. on trash day
Household Trash
The definition of Household trash is fairly clear on the City's web site. It is very, very important to know the items that you can dispose in the curb side trash collection as well as the method of disposal. The methods of disposing of household waste are divided into six general topics. Follow these links to get the details.
2010 and 2011 Holiday Delayed Trash / Recycling Pickup Schedule
Our Trash day is changed to Wednesdays on these dates!
2010
- Jan 1, 2010 - New Year's Day
- January 18 - Martin Luther King Day
- February 15 - President's Day
- April 19th Patriot's Day
- May 31 - Memorial Day
- June 17th - Bunker Hill Day
- September 6th - Labor Day
- October 11 - Columbus Day
- November 11 - Veteran's Day
- November 25 - Thanksgiving
2011
- January 17, 2011- Martin Luther King Day
- February 21 - President's Day
- April 18th Patriot's Day
- May 30 - Memorial Day
- June 17th - Bunker Hill Day
- July 4th - Independence Day
- September 5th - Labor Day
- October 10 - Columbus Day
- November 11 - Veteran's Day
- November 25 - Thanksgiving
Curbside Recycling
Your curbside trash day is also your recycling day. Please place commingled material in you blue recycling bin and mixed papers / cardboard in a paper bag next to the recycling bin. You can get one recycling bind for your household at the DBW yard at 1 Franey Road between the hours of 8:00 am to 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday with proof of residency
Acceptable Items for Pickup
In Recycle Bin:
- Glass,
- Bottles,
- Metal Cans,
- Plastic containers (#1-7)
- milk and juice cans
- paper cartons
Outside Recycle Bin:
- Mixed Paper
- Cardboard
- Newspapers
- Unwanted Mail
- Envelopes
- Magazines
- other paper based products
- Shredded paper paper or excess recycling can be kept on the curb in clear / transparent plastic bags (separate bags for paper and commingled recycling)
Unacceptable Items for Pickup
- Pizza Boxes
- Styrofoam
- Plastic Bags
Rejection Policy
- Recycling items kept in plastic bags (exception is shredded papers in clear transparent bags)
- recycling bin containing papers and commingles mixed or containing non recycling items will be rejected for recycling and a sticker will be placed detailing the desired change in the practice.
For more information regarding the City's recycling services go to these pages on it's web site
Yard Waste
Everything you dig out of your yard is not yard waste. Our Century old yard is full of bricks, dirt, concrete and rocks and this fill is considered bulk waste and not valid yard waste. (The web site page that is not very helpful)
What the City doesn't tell you!
I took this information from the Somerville Code of Ordinances - Chapter 11 PUBLIC WORKS - Article II Division of Highways, Electric Lines and Lights, Section 11-31 Household trash and Rubbish Collection.
(j) Yard waste/debris. Yard waste/debris such as tree trimmings, hedge clippings and similar materials shall be cut to a length not exceeding three feet and shall be securely tied in bundles before being set out for collection or disposed of in either paper leaf bags or barrels labeled with "yard waste" stickers provided by the department of public works.
(l) Bulk items.
- Bulk items shall not be deemed to be acceptable rubbish. A bulk item shall be defined as any item so large or heavy that one man could not reasonably handle it, any item over 75 pounds or anything in the following categories:
a. Auto parts, such as generators, starters, air-cleaners, auto seats, wheel rims, or small pieces of body metal, but not to include large pieces of body metal or engine blocks, dismantled swing sets with concrete footings removed, bicycles and other similar items.
b. Appliances such as stoves, air conditioners, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, hot water heaters and refrigerators will be picked up by the City, but are required to have all doors completely removed prior to being placed on the sidewalk for collection and must have affixed thereon a white goods disposal sticker purchased from the department of public works.
- If in the opinion of the commissioner of public works or his or her designee the household refuse from any one household is unusually great or if the quantity, size, weight or nature of bulk items cannot be reasonably handled, they will not be collected. Earth, stones, tree trunks or large tree limbs will not be collected by the City and are the responsibility of the resident for disposal.
- The following items will be accepted at the department of public works yard, sanitation division garage:
a. Automobile tires (unmounted, not mounted) up to four each;
b. Automobile wet-cell batteries up to two each; and
c. Latex paint (up to ten gallons).
Here is the link to the City of Somerville's
Ordinances and rules. It may not be up to date so further research may be required for clarification.
