Recycling & Solid Waste
Frequently Asked Questions
In random order, here are some questions which have been asked about the Town of Shutesbury Recycling and Solid Waste program. Please first read through for any questions that you may have, and if you can't find the answer, email your question to Blaire Robey, Recycling Coordinator, at Recycling -at- Shutesbury.org.
- Where do I get a supply of the yellow Town of Shutesbury bags?
- What if I need more than 50 bags for the year?
- What is the schedule for trash and recyclables?
- What do I do if my trash or recyclables were not picked up?
- What are the most common causes for trash or recycling to be rejected for pickup?
- How do I recycle my computer and peripherals?
- What can I do with....
Where do I get a supply of the yellow Town of Shutesbury bags?
Under the current program, 50 bags are given annually to each household. That means single family homes get 50 bags, duplexes, or legal two-residence structures, each get 50 bags "free". "Free" means they are funded by the taxes each of us pay. The program is supplemented with grants from the State and from (in essence) profit-sharing funds returned to the town by the Materials Recycling Facility in Springfield for the materials we recycle.
The bags are distributed at annual Town Meeting, followed by a series of dates at the Town Hall, staffed by the recycling and Solid Waste Committee members. See trash bag distribution schedule and locations.
What if I need more than 50 bags for the year?
The vast majority of households are able to dispose of their trash in the fifty bags. Some households, through lifestyle choices, may have to purchase more bags, just as they may have to buy more clothes or food for their larger families. Bags are available in packs of ten, for $20. You can buy them at the Town Hall during regular daytime staff hours; or from the Village Co-Op in Leverett. We urge you to support this store, in appreciation for their support of our program.
What is the schedule for trash and recyclables?
Pickups are scheduled for every Wednesday. On weeks when the trash hauler recognizes a holiday, the route runs on Thursday, instead. The schedule is distributed along with the annual bag allotment, and is also available on this website: See Collection Schedule by Week.
Recyclables alternate by week. Cardboard and paper products alternate weeks with glass, cans, and plastic containers. That info is included in the schedule.
What do I do if my trash or recyclables were not picked up?
Both trash and recycling must be at curbside by 7am on collection days. Due to changes which may occur from time to time in the Amherst Landfill hours, the routes may be reversed without notice. This is especially likely on holiday schedule weeks. See Collection Schedule by Week.
If one or the other was picked up, but not both, it is likely that one of the listed three things occurred:
- The items were not at curbside when the pickup was made.
- The trash or the recycling was not packaged as required, or contained prohibited items.
- You were skipped.
If your items were rejected by the hauler, following the Town guidelines, you should see a rejection notice left with the items. If you feel you've been skipped, after assuring that you met the guidelines, please call the Town Administrator David Ames at 259-1214 or email Recycling -at- Shutesbury.org.
You can also drop an email to either, by clicking on the name, but it will not assure that the issue is addressed that same day.
What are the most common causes for trash or recycling to be rejected for pickup?
The most common causes for rejection are packaging, placement, and contents. For a more complete description of the requirements, view the Rejection Notice.
The short version is this:
- Trash must be completely inside TIED Shutesbury trash bags — they cannot be left hooked open over the edges of barrels, have items protruding, etc.
- All items must be at the curbside, accessible within a few steps for the driver
- Trash must not contain excessive amounts of recyclables; hazardous materials; construction material; or items banned from landfills by the Massachusetts DEP (Dept. of Environmental Protection);
- Trash bags must weigh less than 30 pounds, and be able to support the contents (cat litter is a good example of contents which may violate this guideline)
- Recycling must be in a solid container, so the driver can dump it, and set it back on the ground. Blue boxes (available for $5 at Town Hall) are one option, but covered barrels, storage containers from department stores; or old laundry baskets are all valid options.
- You can put paper in paper bags, or cardboard boxes, which will be taken as well. Be sure the contents are supported for lifting and throwing into the truck.
- Cardboard must be flattened, and folded to four feet or less, to fit into the truck opening.
- Plastic bags cannot be used to hold recyclables of any type, since they would blow around the neighborhood when emptied. They cannot go into the truck, as they contaminate the load, causing rejction — and landfilling at our expense — at the Materials Recycling Facility.
How do I recycle my computer and peripherals?
You can bring your computer to the spring or fall bulky waste collection site for recycling, or you can contact the Amherst DPW at 256-4050 for instructions and fees for recycling through Amherst's services. Staples Office Supply stores will also recycle computers and auxiliary components, such as mouse, keyboard, printer, etc. Contact Staples for more information.
What can I do with....
Motor oil? Retailers are required to accept your used oil. They can require a receipt, so they know it's in exchange for the oil they sold to you, and they can limit you to the quantities you purchased according to that receipt. Practically speaking, we haven't seen them request a receipt for the usual car oil-change volumes. If you don't reuse the quart or gallon plastic bottles to bring used oil back to the retailer, throw them in your trash. Although they have the proper recycling number on them, the oil contamination makes them ineligible for recycling through the town program.
Used furniture or other large items? How about donating them to area non-profits? You can set them at roadside with a "FREE" sign, too. Passing neighbors may give them an extended useful life. If the item(s) are not suitable for continued use or donation to the Amherst Family Center in North Amherst or Goodwill or the Salvation Army, you can bring them to Bulky Waste Day.
Styrofoam packing material? If it's *clean* styrofoam peanuts, Mailboxes, Etc. in Amherst will take them. Other such retailers may, also. Call around. If it's the molded block styrofoam commonly used for electronic components, there are less options. Some suggest mailing them back to the manufacturer, as a statement...
While we encourage consideration of packaging when you make your purchases, at this point there are some battles which can't be won in the short term. We should all urge manufacturers to reduce excess packaging whenever possible, and to use recyclable cushioning materials. Some packing peanuts are made of cornstarch now. Dampen them, and see if they melt. If they do, decide where to discard the melted material... your garden or compost bin, perhaps? Some shippers use inflated plastic bags, and we've been told by the Amherst Big Y supermarket that *clean* plastic bags can go into their plastic grocery bag collection bins. We would expect that Stop & Shop and others would accept them, too.