New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
The City of New Bedford and ABC Disposal will transition to a new automated solid waste collection and curbside recycling program on Monday, June 23, 2014. The switch to the new automated system is a service upgrade that will offer an improved user experience, cleaner city streets, increased recycling, other environmental benefits, and a reduction in the cost to taxpayers of sending waste to the Crapo Hill landfill.
With the automated collection, a robotic arm swings out from the collection truck, lifts a specialized container, and dumps trash and recycling into the compactor bin. The system requires uniform carts with wheels that are specially designed to work with the truck and robotic arm.
To date, more than 49,000 carts have been distributed to residents and businesses across the city.
“Beginning on Monday, June 23rd, only the wheeled carts will be accepted for pickup curbside. Please do not set out any old trash barrels, blue bins or bags,” said Kenneth Blanchard, Director of the Department of Facilities and Fleet Management. “Bagged trash should be placed in the cart with the blue lid and loose recyclables, including materials such as paper, cardboard, bottles, and cans, must be placed in the cart with the orange lid,” he continued. Both the recycling cart lids and the trash cart lids must be fully closed.
Marissa Perez-Dormitzer, District Recycling Coordinator for the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District said that recycling is the key to fitting trash into the cart provided. “The new recycling carts will make it much easier to recycle and will give residents more recycling capacity. Residents will no longer need to separate the recyclables into multiple bins. All bottles, cans, cardboard and paper can be placed in the recycling cart with the orange lid,” said Mrs. Perez-Dormitzer.
With the new system, ABC Disposal will now accept new items in the recycling cart including, empty aerosol containers, paperboard juice and milk cartons as well as juice boxes (minus the straw). Plastic bags, Styrofoam items or trash should never be placed in the recycling carts.
Beginning June 23rd, residents must call ABC Disposal to make an appointment for the collection of bulky items (mattresses, couches or refrigerators etc.) These items can no longer be collected curbside without appointment. Contact ABC Disposal at (508) 999-2619 to schedule a bulky item pickup.
For more information, please visit the City of New Bedford’s website at www.newbedford-ma.gov or call the Department of Facilities and Fleet Management at (508) 961-3008.
