New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
To help residents recycle more wrapping paper, boxes and other packaging this holiday season, the City of New Bedford will provide recycling stations where residents may drop off Styrofoam blocks and excess recyclables.
New Bedford residents can drop off Styrofoam blocks and single stream recycling materials at three special drop-off locations open on Saturday, December 27th and Saturday, January 3rd. Single stream recycling materials that are normally collected curbside including bottles, cans, jugs, jars, cartons, paper, and cardboard, may also be recycled at the drop-off locations.
The locations will be open to New Bedford residents 7:30 A.M.–3:00 P.M. on the two Saturdays. They are:
- East Rodney French Blvd. beach lot, between Hudson Street & Seymour Street, temporary site
- Shawmut Avenue Transfer Station, 1103 Shawmut Avenue, permanent site
- Brooklawn Park, near Pony League Field, enter at Irvington Street, temporary site
What Holiday Waste can be Recycled in Your Recycling Cart?
Many holiday items can be recycled in the recycling carts residents use each week.
“Wrapping paper makes up a large amount of materials generated around the holidays,” said Ken Blanchard, Director of the Department of Facilities and Fleet Management. “Residents can recycle wrapping paper in their recycling carts.”
Bows, ribbons, and tissue paper are not recyclable. Many other items can be recycled in the recycling carts including corrugated cardboard boxes, gift boxes, calendars, paper shopping bags, beverage cartons (e.g. egg nog), and paper greeting cards.
Curbside Christmas Tree Collection and Drop-off Locations
Curbside collection of Christmas trees will take place between January 12th and January 16th. During this week, residents may place trees at the curb the day after their regularly scheduled trash and recycling is collected. (For example, if your trash is collected on Friday, January 9th, Christmas trees will only be collected along your route on the following Monday, January 12th. And, if your trash is normally collected on Mondays, Christmas trees will only be collected along your route on Tuesday, January 13th and so on.) No Christmas trees will be collected on Saturday, January 17th. The City will not collect Christmas trees curbside at any other time.
When preparing your tree, please follow these guidelines: no ornaments, no stands, no holiday lights, no tinsel, and no plastic bags.
As an alternative to the curbside collection, beginning on Friday, December 26th, residents can drop off Christmas trees at the following locations (please remove all ornaments, stands, lights, tinsel and bags):
- East Rodney French Blvd. beach lot, between Hudson Street & Seymour Street
- Shawmut Avenue Transfer Station, 1103 Shawmut Avenue, open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Brooklawn Park, near Pony League Field, enter at Irvington Street
Additional Recycling Tips
Strings of Christmas lights can be recycled at the Shawmut Avenue Transfer Station with the scrap metal. “Strings of holiday lights should not be placed in residents’ recycling carts at home. They wrap around the machines at the recycling facility causing the plant to shut down,” said Marissa Perez-Dormitzer, recycling coordinator at the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District. A lot of packaging materials are generated during the holidays. Bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts, and air pillows can be brought to The UPS Store for reuse. A New Bedford location is at 1090 Kings Highway.
For additional tips, follow #NBHolidayTips, @NBRecycling on Twitter, or visit our New Bedford Recycling Facebook page. If you have questions, please contact the recycling office by phone at (508) 979-1493 or by email at recycling@newbedford-ma.gov.
