• Recycling Guide
  • Yard Waste & Recycling Center
  • Compost
  • Recycling Organizations
• Recycling Education
• Purchasing a Bulky & Metal Permit
• Holiday Schedule
• Refuse and Recycling Collection Schedules and Recycling Calendar
• Acceptable and Unacceptable Items
• Recycling Organizations
• Telephone Book Recycling
• Household Hazardous Waste Collections
• Electronic Recycling

Direct all questions regarding refuse removal and recycling to Paine's Recycling & Rubbish Removal at (860) 844-3000

Refuse, Recycling, Bulk & Metal Collection Guide

Trash Delay for the week of May 26th - June 1st

Trash and Recycle will be delayed one day due to Memorial Day on Monday May 27, 2013.  This will affect all trash days for the week of May 27th only.

Collection services are provided by Paine’s Inc. based in East Granby CT  a family owned & operated business. Paine’s attention to customer service has made their relationship and service to West Hartford top notch! Paine’s provides services for all West Hartford eligible residential properties, public schools and town buildings. Paine’s is an active participant in the community donating services and supporting Celebrate West Hartford.

Click here to view  Paine's web site

No Landfilling  - Trash To Energy 

West Hartford’s refuse for the past 25 years has been delivered to a trash to energy plant and we continue to do so with Covanta Industries located in Bristol CT. Refuse delivered is fed into combustion chambers.   The heat generated boils water to run turbines generating electricity which is sold back to power grids. Only ash residue, with all metal’s extracted for recycling, from the combustion chambers and a small percentage of our bulk waste collected curbside are landfilled in CT DEEP approved and environmentally engineered landfills. All metal and white good appliances collected curbside are recycled by Paine’s. Any appliance containing Chlorofluorocarbon’s or CFC’s, a gas believed to be ozone depleting, are properly evacuated before being recycled.

Property’s eligible for West Hartford sponsored Refuse, Recycling and Bulk & metal collections?

The Town of West Hartford provides refuse & recycling collection only to non- commercial residential properties with 3 dwellings or less.

• Condominium complexes – Automated carts or dumpster service only – no compactors.

Who is not eligible for West Hartford sponsored collections?

• Apartment complexes with four units or more
• Retail , commercial and industrial properties
• Private schools, religious organizations and other non – profit organizations
• Mixed used properties – typically a two or three family house with a business occupying one of the units.

Automated Collection Barrels

All eligible single, two and three-family homes are provided automated refuse and recycling collection barrels, either a 95-gallon or 65-gallon size. All properties are issued a recycling barrel equal in size to their refuse barrel. No property shall have a recycling barrel smaller than their refuse barrel. This is done to ensure that we provide each property the capacity to meet State and Federal recycling target rates of 50 % or better.

• Barrels are the property of the Town of West Hartford and are the only barrels which will be collected on your refuse and recycling collection day. 
• Every eligible residential unit has been issued both a refuse & recycling barrel.
• Barrels are the property of the Town of West Hartford and must remain at the property where they were issued.
• Each barrel has a serial number which has been inventoried to the address it was delivered.
• Residents owning other properties in town may not relocate barrels assigned to those properties.
• Lost or stolen barrels are the responsibility of the property owner.
• Only barrels issued by The Town of West Hartford or Paine’s Inc. may be used for collection services.
• Damage from normal wear & tear will be maintained by the Town of West Hartford through our contractor Paine’s Inc. 860-844-3000. 
• Repeated damage by animals.
  • If a barrel or lid has been replaced twice, any further damage shall be the responsibility of the resident.  The resident shall take action to eliminate the source of damage, store the barrel in a protected area or pay for repair or replacement costs.

Collection Day Barrel Placement at the Curb

• On your collection day barrel(s) should be at the curb by 6 A.M.
• Barrels must not be placed in the street for the following reasons:
  • Collection vehicles are forced farther into the roadway causing traffic back-ups. 
  • During snow storms plow vehicles cannot widen streets to their fullest and barrels can get knocked over by the cast of snow off the plow. 
  • They impede the normal flow of traffic.
• The front of the barrel must be placed facing the curb. The back of the barrel is where the handle and wheels are located.
• Only items and material in the barrel will be collected.
• Reported and confirmed missed collections will be completed no later than the end of the next business day.
• On weeks when you put out your recycling, please remember to keep at least a two foot gap between your barrels.
• Please do not use plastic bags to contain recyclable materials.  Plastic bags can be recycled at various grocery stores.
• Barrels cannot remain at the curb for extended periods of time. Town ordinance limits the time your barrels can be left at the curb to no more than 24 hours before and must be removed  24 hours after 6 A.M. of your scheduled collection day.

• Following these guidelines will not only increase the curb appeal of our community, but also help to eliminate delays, and promote timely collection for all residents. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. 

Refuse and Recycling Collection Schedules and Recycling Calendar

To check your refuse or recycling collection schedule just type in your street name and your collection day for refuse and recycling will appear in the associated boxes. Use the calendar link to determine if your recycling week is on the A or B schedule of your refuse collection day.

When in doubt put it out !

Check your Refuse and Recycling Collection Schedules and Recycling Calendar here

 

Common reasons why trash was NOT collected:

• Items are too large (doesn't meet dimensional requirements).
• Unacceptable material items such as dirt, concrete, slate, stone brick, stumps, sand, cement, asphalt, ceramics can not be placed in your barrel.
• Recyclable items such as cardboard are not tied or improperly tied.
• Refuse not out before 6:00 AM. on collection day.
• Vehicles blocking access.
• Refuse in any container other than the automated collection barrel (ex: improper barrels and corrugated cardboard boxes.)
• Trash items were presented outside the automated barrel

Acceptable and Unacceptable Items

Acceptable Items

The following items are considered regular household refuse. REGULAR REFUSE ITEMS DO NOT REQUIRE A PHONE CALL. All items must fit loosely in the automated collection barrel. If not, you will need to purchase a permit and arrange for a special bulky waste or metal collection. It is the resident's responsibility to ensure that the following items meet the specific requirements listed below:

• Latex Paint Cans: Only empty and dry cans will be accepted. Cans with liquid remaining should be left open until the contents have solidified, sawdust and cat litter can be added to speed up drying.
• Sawdust and Ashes must be cold and placed in a plastic bag and tied securely.
• Shipping Peanuts must be placed in a plastic bag and tied securely.
• Formica and Non-recyclable Plastic & Glass must be broken into small pieces.
• Branches and Brush may be brought to the Recycling Center on Brixton Street in a permitted vehicle.
• Wood: Large items that cannot fit into your automated barrel are bulky collection items. Check the Bulky & Metal Collection for details.
• Household Batteries manufactured after 1997 contain no hazardous waste and can be disposed of in the trash.
• Prescription and Over the Counter Medicines: Do not flush medicine down the sink or toilet. This pollutes water and negatively affects fish, wildlife, drinking water supplies, septic systems, and sewage treatment plants. Properly dispose of medication by adding water to pill bottles or a non-toxic powder to liquid medications to prevent someone from eating it. Labels can be removed, colored over with a marker or covered with duct tape. Place the medicine bottle in a bag or container to conceal and throw it in the trash.

Unacceptable  Items

• Explosives
• Biological waste
• Hazardous chemical substances (see Household Hazardous Waste)
• Radioactive materials
• Human or animal waste
• Animal remains. Contact your veterinarian or a private wildlife control service.
• Automotive parts
• Liquid waste
• Radioactive medical waste, including human and pet waste. Check with your doctor or veterinarian.
• Recyclable materials
• Leaves & Grass Clippings are a state-mandated recyclable item, and are not collected with refuse. Residents are encouraged to use a mulching mower or compost their clippings. Thatch and weeds are not considered grass.

Residents can dispose of their grass clippings at the Recycling Center at a cost of $59/ton, with a $10 minimum charge. Most residents end up paying the $10 minimum. This fee covers the cost to ship the grass to a site registered by the DEEP to compost grass. West Hartford does not have a site that meets the DEEP registration requirements.

Permitted Collections

 Bulk, Metal, Appliances, Mattresses & Box

Sorry

No Refunds or Rescheduling for items Scavenged or Items not placed at the curb by 6 AM on your scheduled collection day

The Town pays a collection fee to Paine’s equal to the permit cost a resident pays. If a resident does not put their material out for collection or the material is scavenged from the curb and Paine’s collection vehicle is dispatched to the stop, the town is invoiced for that stop. 

What is Bulk Waste?

Bulky waste refers to large items, such as couches, furniture and other large non-metal items that cannot be collected as part of the automated trash collection system.

See lists of acceptable and non- acceptable items below.

What is Metal Waste?

• Lawn Mowers & similar power equipment: All oil and fuel must be removed.
• Tire Rims: Tire must be removed from the rim.
• Oil and Gasoline Tanks: Tanks must be empty and cut in half to prevent explosions.
• 55-Gallon Drums: Must be empty, rinsed and lids removed.
• Metal Awnings: Metal only, no canvas material.
• Metal Garage  Doors: Must be cut down to 2 feet by 4 feet, bundled and tied

Other Metal Items: Aluminum siding and gutters, auto batteries, jungle gyms, swing sets, slides, metal sheds, door and furniture, TV antennas, clothesline pole, pipes, etc. Some of these items require disassembly.

Maximum length accepted is 6 feet maximum width is 4 feet. Weight of metal items must be manageable for two men. Excessively heavy item may be refused for safety reasons. 

Accepted Appliances

The following items will now incur a collection fee of $30 per unit. If an item is not on the list, it can be included as part of regular metal permit.

• Air Conditioner
• Cook Top
• Dehumidifier
• Dishwasher
• Dryer
• Freezer
• Hot Water Heater
• Microwaves
• Oven
• Refrigerator
• Stove
• Trash Compactor
• Washer

Commercial properties with private collection should contact their collection providers.

If an item is not on the list, it can be included as part of a regular metal permit.

Permit Fees

• Bulk permit fees …………………..…$ 29.00.
• Metal permit fees…………………… $ 29.00.
• Appliances fees……………………….$ 30.00 per piece
• Mattresses & Box Springs………...$45.00 per piece 

Mattresses and box springs remain at $ 45.00 per piece. Mattresses and box springs are collected as bulk waste but are permitted at $ 45.00 per piece due to a special processing fee charged to the town. This fee includes the bulk collection services fee for Paine’s plus the mattress or box spring processing fee at the disposal facility.

Bulk collections will no longer be collected on your regular refuse collection day. A collection date will be assigned at the time you call Paine’s Inc. at 860-844-3000, to schedule a collection. Normal bulk collection day is Wednesday. Note – Holiday delays may effect collection schedule.

Metal collections and appliances will continue to be collected on your regular refuse collection day.

How do I Purchase a Collection Permit?

• Permits are available with one phone call by contacting Paine's, Inc. at (860) 844-3000.
• Permits  can also be obtained by credit card on line 24-hours a day on the West Hartford web site.  Puchase a permit on-line.
• Permits can be purchased in person at the Town Hall Customer Service Desk or Public Works  Facility during business hours, Monday through Friday. Cash and check are accepted in person.

How do I Schedule my Bulk, Mattress or Box Spring Collection?

• After purchasing permits online or in person, you must call Paine's, (860) 844-3000 to schedule your collection.  Permit volume may require your scheduled collection date be issued for the following week.  A  collection date will be assigned by Paine’s according to the volume of  permits scheduled ahead of your request. Purchasing and scheduling your  permit must be done before 2 P.M. each Tuesday to qualify for collection  that week. 

How do I schedule my Metal or Appliance Collection?

• Metal and  Appliance collections are made on your regular refuse collection day.
• After purchasing permits online, by phone or in person, you must call Paine's, (860) 844-3000 to schedule your collection.

Calls to Paine’s must be made no later than 2 P.M. the day before your regular scheduled refuse collection day. Requests for Monday collections must be done before 2 P.M. of the Friday before.

How much material can I put out for collection?

• A single permit allows a resident to put out up to 3 cubic yards, (9’ x 3’ x 3’), of bulk waste or metal which is approximately equal to reasonably loaded pick-up truck. 
• Material in excess of 3 cubic yards requires the purchase of an additional permit.
• Mattresses, box spring and appliances items require the purchase of a separate permit for each individual item.

Please note that material to be presented for collection cannot be placed at the curb more than 24 hours in advance of your scheduled collection date. Material at the curb 24 hours before or after your scheduled collection date is in violation of Town of West Hartford Ordinances.

How many permits can I purchase for one collection day?

• (1) bulky permit; (1) metal permit; and up to (3) appliance permits
• (2) bulky permits; and up to (3) appliance permits
• (2) metal permits and up to (3) appliance permits
• There is a maximum of (3) appliances that can be collected at any one address on any given week.

For more information, please contact: Paine's at (860)844-3000.

Recycling in West Hartford

West Hartford partners with Re-Community Recycling and will receive guaranteed minimum $7.50 per ton rebate thru Dec 2014

West Hartford residents participate in single stream recycling collection. All recycling items collected can be placed into your blue recycling barrel without having to separate them or bag them by like items. Recyclables will be collected every two weeks on the same day as your refuse collection day.

In November 2012, West Hartford, through an RFP, partnered with Re-Community Recycling,  an organization with 36 recycling facilities in 13 states.  Re- Community’s network in the recycling industry provides a vast market of sources with material for second generation use.  West Hartford is the only town in the Greater Hartford area and possibly the region to have a direct relationship with a recycling receiver not connected to their refuse disposal facility. Our partnership guarantees a minimum $ 7.50 per ton of recycling material with a 50% revenue share of profit over what the market returns per ton. Our first annual quarter of rebates has averaged $ 13.00 per ton. Re-Community also offers an expanded list of acceptable recycling items which will generate more tons of recycling material annually.

Click here to go to Re-Community ( www.ReCommunity.com )

Improving Our Community Recycling Rate Will Save Tax Dollars

Recycling is a State of Connecticut mandated requirement. Currently few communities, West Hartford included, recover service costs to collect residential recyclables through recycling rebates. Offsetting recycling collection costs are gained through higher recycling rates which result in lower refuse generation rates. Every additional ton of recycling removed from our refuse stream in the 2014 fiscal year will save the town $ 60.21 and earn a minimum of $ 7.50 rebate. A total of $ 67.71 per ton offset from the Town’s Refuse & Recycling Budget. Annually West Hartford generates close to 8,000 tons of recycling. The disposal cost of 8,000 ton of recycling as refuse would cost the town $ 481,680.00. The rebate value of those same 8000 tons is $ 60,000. a combined total of $ 541,680 saved in tax dollars. If current recycling rebates continues equal to our first quarter with Re – Community the annual rebate will be in the area of $ 104,000.   As residents recycle more, our refuse generation will decrease resulting in lower refuse disposal costs and higher recycling rebates. Currently residents recycle approximately 8,000 tons annually or 26% of their refuse. West Hartford consistently registers as a higher generating recycling community in the State of Connecticut. Our recycling rate is above average, but it has to improve to meet future target levels set by the State of 58% for 2024 and a Federal target of 50% by 2015

For more information, please contact: Paine's at (860)-844-3000

It’s time to step up our game and not trash tax dollars!

Expanded Acceptable Recycling Items Added for
West Hartford

Telephone, paperback & hard cover books, (hard covers need to be removed), rigid plastics, plastic children’s toys have all been added to acceptable list.

Click here for a LISTING OF RECYCLABLES:

Improving Your Household Recycling

• Take the time to educate your household of acceptable recycling materials collected in West Hartford.
• Print a copy of our materials list and post it.
•  A good amount of recycling materials are generated outside the kitchen area.
  •  Make sure areas in the home that produce recycling material have a separate receptacle to gather those materials.
  • Too often material generated in laundry rooms, bathrooms, home offices, hobby and workshop areas are not captured for recycling.
    • Laundry & personal health containers #’s 1-7 are acceptable recycling items.
    • Empty aerosol cans used in the kitchen and for health care products are recyclable. 
    • Purchase items in packaging known to be acceptable for recycling when possible.
    • Items still useable but no longer wanted should be donated to charitable organizations.

Learn more about the processing of recycled items at Re – Community’s Education Station web-site.

 Community Education Station

Holiday Schedule for 2013

“When in Doubt Put it Out”

 During a holiday week, if your pickup day falls on or after the holiday, your trash/recycling will be picked up one day after your regular day for that week only.

Only the holidays listed below will affect your pickup day.