Recycling notes

The latest Boston Recycle More newsletter is now on line. We'd like to highlight some recycling news from the newsletter, and from our regular meetings with DPW.

• Since we no longer have to separate paper from other recycling, recycling rates have skyrocketed. In other neighborhoods, just as they have in the South End.



• If you live on a drivable alley (Dwight st) or live near an alley entrance, the city will give you a large recycle bin-on-wheels. (picture in the newsletter). Call the city to get one delivered.



• If you have another covered bin you’d like to use for recycling, call the city and ask for an “official” recycle sticker you can put on the bin to indicated it contains recyclables and not trash.



• ESNA and the city continue to encourage the use of clear plastic bags for recycling (if you have no space for a wheeled cart). The city is phasing out the ‘standard’ blue bins. They tend to get knocked & blown over easily and scatter paper and recyclables all over the street. Eventually the blue bins will go away (but you can keep your blue bin in the house)



• Cardboard boxes: They must be broken down and folded flat. If they are still assembled, recycling will NOT take them. They will assume the box wither a) contains styrofoam, which we do not recycle or b) it contains trash, which is trash. They will not look in each box – they will just take it as trash rather than recycle it. So please, break down your boxes and lie them flat under your recycling bag(s).



• TVs and computer monitors cannot be recycled or put out with trash. Call the city and arrange a pick-up time. You can leave it curbside on the day of the arranged pick-up time.



• We will continue to ask for recycling pickup on both trash days. Keep asking for it and we’ll keep pestering the city, and can hopefully get recycling pick-up both days in the future.

Remember you can keep your recycling in any kind of bin(s) in the home, and then collect it into a clear bag on recycling day. Or, just buy a second container for your home, line it with the clear bags and keep it near your household trash, so you can separate on the fly and just collect the clear bag to take to the trash. Just remember to not put 5-cent deposit cans and bottles into the trash or the clear recycle bags – the street collectors will tear the bags to get to the cans and make a mess on the street.

City recycling pages: http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/recycling/default.asp
Phone number for Recycling & Trash issues: 617.635.4500