Other Recycling Opportunities
The Town of West Hartford holds several collections that give residents opportunities to divert items from the waste stream and recycle them. They are:
- Annual Leaf Collection Program: Leaves are a state mandated recyclable item and cannot be collected with trash. Watch the newspapers or call the leaf line for notification of collection in your area.
- Christmas Tree Collection: Christmas trees are collected by the Department of Public Works in January for a limited collection period. Put your tree at the curb free of all metal objects. Trees are ground into wood chips which are available to Town residents. After this collection period, trees must be brought to the Recycling Center; they will not be picked up with the trash. Call 561-8100 for information on availability of wood chips. No plastic bags, wires, ornaments or bases. No wreathes or garland, please put these in the trash.
- Spring Yard Waste Collection: Each spring, the town runs a two week yard waste material pickup program for residential properties. Yard waste placed in 30-gallon biodegradable paper leaf bags will be collected at the curb. Two passes of the town are made during this program. Please place bags at the curb by 6:00 AM on your refuse collection day. Excessive volume or weather conditions may delay your collection. Check The Hartford Courant or the Public Works Leaf Line for information in April.
Acceptable items include leaves, pine cones, thatch (dead grass), twigs, and remnants of last year’s plantings. Non-acceptable items include grass clippings, tied bundles of twigs, sticks, limbs, logs, plastic bags, plastic bags containing any yard waste and household trash will not be collected during this one-day clean-up.
- Household Hazardous Waste Collection: The Town of West Hartford, in cooperation with the MDC holds a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day annually in the fall free of charge for residents to dispose of their hazardous waste. Collections prevent air and water pollution.
The collection is held at the Public Works Garage. Residents may also attend a number of other collections held in the Hartford area throughout the year. To find out when a collection schedule will be held near you, go to www.themdc.com/hazwasteschedule.htm The MDC also holds special collections on Sundays so that it does not conflict with the Jewish Sabbath.
- Small Metal Recycling Collection: Only small metal items that can fit inside the town issued blue recycling bin will be accepted. The contents of the bin cannot weigh more than 60 pounds. Collections are held at the Brixton Street facility. Contact the Department of Public Works for schedule.
- Electronics Recycling Collection: State law will prohibit electronics being disposed in the waste stream after 2010. West Hartford has taken the lead offering residents recycling opportunities for electronics. Collections are held three times a year during the months of May, July and November at the Public Works Facility on Brixton Street. Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority also holds regular electronics recycling collection days for many types of items. See the town’s website and CRRA’s website for schedules. Many retailers also take back electronic appliances.
The following items may be brought to the Recycling Center:
Grass Clippings: State law mandates that grass clippings cannot be placed in the waste stream. Residents are encouraged to home compost or leave clippings on their lawns to decompose. Mulching mowers (or mulching kits for older mowers) speed up the decomposition of clippings. Thatch and weeds are considered grass.
Residents can dispose of grass clippings at the EnviroCycle Recycling Center for a $7 minimum charge (subject to change).
Brush and Branches: Residents are encouraged to dispose of these materials at the Recycling Center. Disposal costs at the Recycling Center are currently half the cost of disposal compared to the CRRA cost of burning these items if placed in your automated trash barrel. Please utilize this service and save our tax dollars.
Leaves: Bring leaves to the Recycling Center. If brought in plastic bags, resident must empty leaves from bag.
Leaf Compost: A limited quantity of leaf compost is free to town residents and is available at the Recycling Center. Compost is also delivered in quantities from 1 to 6 cubic yards for a delivery
Note for Residents with Landscape Contractors: Your contractor may now dispose of your leaves free of charge during the fall with a voucher issued by the Town. Contact Public Works at 561-8100 for details.
Motor Oil and Antifreeze: State law prohibits disposal on land, into sanitary or storm sewers or into waterways. These items must be brought to the Recycling Center in separate containers that can be left with Recycling Center operators.
Auto Batteries: Leave with attendant at office.
Household Batteries: Discard household batteries at the fall household hazardous waste collection. Do not bring these batteries to the Recycling Center.
Rechargeable Batteries: Some electronics retail outlets will take and recycle these batteries. Please check your local phone book for store listings. Each year the town holds two Electronic Recycling Collections (May and November) in which you can dispose of batteries. Do not bring these batteries to the Recycling Center.
