An Update from the City of Newton DPW
Sustainable Materials Management Division
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Resource Recovery Center Updates |
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Winter hours starting November 1: Monday-Friday 7:00am-2:30pm, Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm.
The Swap Shop will close for the season on October 30 and reopen in Spring 2022. The Book Shed is open.
Goodwill and the Paint Shed are closed until further notice. The Resource Recovery Center only collects recyclable materials. No wood furniture or overflow household trash are accepted at the site.
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A Pandemic Silver Lining – Recycling Markets are Thriving |
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Recycling has faced harsh criticism in recent years following the global recycling market crash in 2018. Many of us have faced the reality that we cannot recycle our way out of our consumption habits. We know more than ever that we need to focus more on waste reduction and reuse. Undeniably, there are many improvements that could be made to the recycling system.
That said, recycling is still a very good thing! The opposite of recycling is not the trash. The opposite of recycling is mining for raw materials. Today, 40% of raw materials in manufacturing come from recycled materials, making the recycling system a key link in the manufacturing supply chain. About two-thirds of steel manufactured in America comes from recycled resources, and a factor in our pandemic toilet paper shortage was the abrupt scarcity of recycled office paper from which much of our toilet paper is made, according to Adam Minter writing in Bloomberg.
It's true that over the past few years, we have had to pay more for it since the value of the materials was in a downturn. However, the economic tide has turned. Recycling markets not only rebounded since the start of the pandemic, they’re booming. The value of recycled cardboard and plastics, in particular, have significantly increased.
When China closed its door to receiving 40% of the world's recyclables, American companies and others around the world opened plants to fill the gap. When the pandemic caused people to rely more on e-commerce, the demand for cardboard went up so the boxes could be recycled into more boxes. As some workplaces have moved to remote operations, there is less recycling coming from the business sector. This has also increased the demand for residential recyclables.
How does this impact Newton?
The cost to process our recycling at the material recovery facility fluctuates based on the value of the recovered materials. When China stopped accepting materials, the global market collapsed, pushing our prices up. The fee to sort our recycling went from a cap of $60/ton in fiscal year 2020, to a high of $88/ton in July 2020. Over the last year, the cost was steadily dropping each month and this June 2021 the price had reached $15/ton. Then, in July, August, and September of this year, we received rebates for our recycling for the first time since March 2017, that totaled nearly $37,000. A rebate is also anticipated for October.
This is excellent news.
It goes without saying that the best thing for the planet is to reduce and reuse. The next best option is recycling. Without recycling, recyclable items would go in the trash, which is not a better system.
To find out more about Newton’s recycling program visit www.newtonma.gov/recycling. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection also has a lot of useful information here.
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Is Old Paint Haunting Your Basement?
Bring It To Newton's First Paint Collection Day
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Sunday, October 31
9am - 1pm
Resource Recovery Center - by appointment only
115 Rumford Ave.
We are excited to announce our first-ever paint collection event! Appointments can be scheduled by calling Customer Service at (617) 796-1000, Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 5pm.
For this event:
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We will only be collecting: paint, stain, varnish, and shellac will be accepted. No other chemicals will be accepted.
- We’re accepting all types of paint – residents don’t need to sort it at all
- Usable latex paint will be recycled into new paint
- Limit of 30 gallons per car
- 5 gallon containers accepted
- Residential paint ONLY, no commercial vehicles or commercially-sourced paint
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Don’t Trash it, Smash it! 2021 Newton Pumpkin Smash |
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Saturday, November 6
1pm - 4pm
Newton City Hall War Memorial Circle
1000 Commonwealth Ave.
Don't forget to bring your unwanted candy that will be donated to our troops. Also bring old Halloween costumes for our first ever costume swap hosted by the Newton Recycling Committee.
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Swap Shop OPEN through October |
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The 2021 Swap Shop season will come to a close on October 30. Clear out clutter without adding to the waste stream! Drop off clean, usable items to the Newton Resource Recovery Center for reuse, or come take something you can use yourself at no cost.
The Swap Shop is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30am-1:30pm. This is weather dependent. If it is raining, the Swap Shop will not open.
The Swap Shop does not accept:
- TVs or monitors
- Large or stuffed furniture
- Large appliances
- Hazardous materials
- Building materials
All items must be approved by a volunteer before being dropped off.
Open to Newton residents only – proof of residency required upon request.
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Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events |
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Five events remaining in 2021! Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events are held on the first Saturday of every month, and the third Thursday of each month April-December.
Appointments can be scheduled by calling Customer Service at (617) 796-1000, Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 5pm.
Residents can expect to confirm their appointment time and verify proof of residency with a staff person. Only one vehicle per appointment is allowed. Commercial materials and commercial vehicles are not allowed. Residents without an appointment will not be able to enter the site and will be asked to come back after they have made an appointment.
What is accepted at household hazardous waste collection events?
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Household Products: Cleaners, aerosols, solvents, pest control, floor & furniture polishes, disinfectants, houseplant chemicals, spot remover, silver & copper polish
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Paint Products: Oil & lead based paints, stain, varnish, thinners, adhesives
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Auto Products: Antifreeze, gasoline, waxes, polishes, used motor oil
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Outdoor Products: Pesticides, weed killers, fungicides, fertilizers, pool chemicals, insect & rodent killers
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Miscellaneous: Nail polish & remover, glue, mothballs, artist & hobby supplies, photo chemicals, chemistry sets, flea collars and flea shampoos
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Secure Document Shredding and Drug Take-Back Day |
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Saturday, November 13
8:00am - 12:00pm - by appointment only
Resource Recovery Center
115 Rumford Ave.
Advanced sign-up required: call Customer Service at 617-796-1000 to schedule an appointment.
Clean out your old files and medicine cabinets.
Shredding is for RESIDENTIAL materials only (no business materials). Staples/paperclips may be left attached to documents, and paper bags may be shredded.
Limit: 4 document boxes OR 8 paper bags per car.
Bring your old or unused prescription medications to be properly disposed. NO liquids, aerosols, or sharps will be accepted.
Drive-through service only; residents must remain in their cars during shredding and drug take-back for everyone's safety. Face coverings required.
This secure event will be overseen by the Newton Police Department and participants will not be permitted to watch their items being shredded; departure is required once your car is emptied.
This event will be cancelled in the case of a pandemic-related lockdown of non-essential programs.
Cosponsored by the Newton Department of Senior Services, the Newton Department of Public Works, the Newton Police Department, and the Newton Department of Health and Human Services.
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How clean must recycling be for collection?
Not to be mistaken for contamination, which is the presence of a non-recyclable in a recycling cart, the cleanliness of recyclables refers to how dirty a recyclable item is.
Two examples:
- Peanut butter jars do not need to be spotless, but you should be able to mostly see the clear jar. Here are three options: First, you can use a small rubber spatula to scrap as much out as possible and put it to use. Second, let the container soak in leftover suds from washing dishes. Close the lid, shake it up, and empty. Third, you can reuse a paper towel or napkin to wipe most of the residue food (and then compost the paper towel). The container can have small amounts of residue and be fine in the recycling.
- Pizza boxes: simply remove all cheese and food scraps, then recycle the box. The grease on the box doesn't impact its recyclability.
Recyclables don't need to be perfectly clean, but it's best when most of the residue is removed, and there is no liquid present.
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Paint
Latex paint is water-based, therefore not a hazardous material. To identify if paint is latex, look at the label. Check the ingredients list - if water is listed first, it is latex paint. Check the clean-up instructions - if it says to use soap and water, it is latex paint.
How to manage leftover latex paint:
- Try to avoid leftover paint by using it up, in the future avoid buying too much paint.
- Bring leftover latex paint to Newton's first ever paint collection event on October 31 - call City Hall to make an appointment. See details above.
- Re-starting in April 2022, bring latex paint to the Paint Reuse Shed at the Resource Recovery Center.
- If all else fails, let latex paint dry and place it in a bag with your household trash. Mix in kitty litter or newspaper to assist with drying. Hardener is also available at hardware stores if you're in a hurry.
Oil-based paint is flammable, therefore it is a hazardous material. To identify if paint is oil-based, look at the label. Check the front label in the lower corners - if you see a caution statement that says flammable or combustible, it is oil-based paint. Check the clean-up instructions - if it says to use mineral spirits, it is oil-based paint. Most stains, varnish and shellac are also oil-based.
How to manage leftover oil-based paint:
- Try to avoid leftover paint by using it up, in the future avoid buying too much paint.
- Bring leftover oil-based paint to Newton's first ever paint collection event on October 31 - call City Hall to make an appointment. See details above.
- Bring to a household hazardous waste event. See details above. HHW events accept all flammable paint products, including alkyd paint, lead based paints (not latex), stain, varnish, thinner, shellac, and aerosol spray paint.
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HELPSY Curbside Textile Collection |
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The City has partnered with HELPSY to provide Newton residents with curbside textile collection by appointment. HELPSY is a for-profit B Corp with an environmental mission to radically change the way people think about clothing donation. They make reusing and recycling your clothes and shoes more convenient and easier than ever. They collected over 30 million pounds of clothes last year!
Appointments will start the first week of August. To make an appointment fill out this form.
On the day of your appointment, set your items out in a plastic bag at the curb. HELPSY will send a reminder email and/or text ahead of your appointment.
Review the list of Accepted Items (scroll down) for curbside textile pickup.
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What We're Reading (and Watching) |
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Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |
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Never Miss Trash Day Again
USE RECYCLE RIGHT NEWTON
Want to make managing trash and recycling at home easier? Newton has an app for that.
With the Recycle Right Newton App you can:
- Set reminders and view calendar for trash, recycling, and subscription compost pick-ups
- Stay in the loop on collection day delays due to holidays or weather events
- Find the right way to get rid of stuff
- Test your recycling skills with an interactive waste sorting game—fun for kids and adults!
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No smartphone? No problem.
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Thank You for Recycling Right! |
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Learn about the latest news at City Hall and around Newton. We'll look forward to sharing updates with you!
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City of Newton
Department of Public Works
Sustainable Materials Management Division
1000 Commonwealth Ave
Newton, MA 02459
617-796-1000
recycling@newtonma.gov
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