New Bedford Recycling Efforts Receive Recognition, Funding

The City of New Bedford will receive the largest Massachusetts Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) grant in the state in recognition of its programs and policies that have dramatically increased its recycling rate and reduced the amount of waste sent to the Crapo Hill Landfill. New Bedford will receive $66,000; one of just four municipalities in Massachusetts to receive a grant award in excess of $50,000 through the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP) program.

Recycling FlyerNew Bedford earned the grant award by participating in the state’s “Recycling Dividends Program” (RDP) which invites cities and towns to earn payments by implementing policies and programs proven to maximize materials reuse and recycling, as well as waste reduction. Communities that earn RDP payments must reinvest the funds in their recycling programs for things such as new recycling bins or carts, public education and outreach campaigns, collection of hard-to-recycle items and the establishment of recycling programs in schools, municipal buildings and other public spaces.

New Bedford’s automated curbside collection system for trash and recyclables began in late June of 2014. In the first year of the program, the City doubled its recycling rate and reduced the amount of waste sent to the Crapo Hill Landfill by 30%. With the help of proactive education and enforcement efforts recycling citywide has continued to increase. In Fiscal Year 2016, the amount of recycling collected curbside in New Bedford increased an additional 13%, meaning 875 more tons of material was recycled and kept out of the landfill.

The City of New Bedford, under the Department of Facilities and Fleet Management, will use the state grant to further extend and support the outreach work of its Waste Reduction Enforcement Coordinator (WREC). The coordinator works in every city neighborhood to help New Bedford residents and businesses to comply with the City’s trash and recycling regulations through education and enforcement. As part of the City’s outreach efforts, the coordinator meets with residents in person and distributes informational flyers that detail which items may and may not be recycled in the carts. The coordinator often leaves a personal hand-written note with positive feedback for those residents who are doing a great job of recycling curbside.

Upcoming Disposal Days for Tires, Sharps, Hazardous Waste and Medications

Tire Drop-off Day will take place on September 24th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Shawmut Avenue Transfer Station, 1103 Shawmut Avenue, New Bedford.

• Open to New Bedford and Dartmouth residents only, ID required.
• Fees are $1 for each car tire, $5 for each light duty truck tire, and $15 for each heavy duty truck tire. Tires 28 and ½ inches or taller are in the truck categories. Rims are okay. Cash or check only.
• No commercial loads, no tires with a rim diameter greater than 24 inches, no off-road equipment tires.

Sharps Drop-off Day will take place on September 24th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Shawmut Avenue Transfer Station, 1103 Shawmut Avenue, New Bedford.

• Open to New Bedford and Dartmouth residents only, ID required.
• Sharps include needles, syringes, and lancets.
• Sharps must be in a red biohazard container prior to the drop-off day; sharps will not be accepted in any other type of container.
• New Bedford residents may pick up one free biohazard container at the New Bedford Health Department, 1213 Purchase Street. Biohazard containers may also be purchased from local pharmacies.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day will take place on October 22rd from 9 a.m. to noon at the Crapo Hill Landfill, 300 Samuel Barnet Boulevard, New Bedford.

• Open to New Bedford, Dartmouth, and Freetown residents only, ID required.
• Examples of accepted waste include oil-based paints, paint thinner, and waste fuels.
• NO LATEX PAINTS. Dry out and throw it away in the regular trash.
• No motor oil, no antifreeze, no fluorescent light bulbs, no TVs, and no propane tanks. Take these items to your Transfer Station. If New Bedford or Dartmouth residents have questions, call (508) 979-1493. If Freetown residents have questions about what is accepted at the Transfer Station, call (508) 644-2202 Ext 3.
• The maximum amount you can bring is 25 gallons or 25 pounds.
• Collection is for households only. No businesses, schools, or contractors, unless prior arrangements have been made.

National Drug Take-Back Day will take place on October 22th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the New Bedford Police Department Headquarters, 871 Rockdale Avenue, New Bedford.

• Open to residents of New Bedford and the surrounding communities.
• Safely dispose of unwanted prescription drugs.
• Pills only (no liquids, needles, or syringes).
• Free and anonymous.
• Organized by the New Bedford Police Department in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

For more information about the events, contact the Refuse District’s recycling office by phone at (508) 979-1493 or by email at recycling@newbedford-ma.gov.