What To Do with Things That Don’t Fit in the Barrel

By Ronni Newton

There comes a time when nearly everyone is getting rid of something large – whether it’s because you finally replaced the living room sofa you inherited from Grandma, you purchased a new stove, the kids have outgrown the playscape, or you’re getting rid of junior’s old twin bed now that you’re turning his room into the guest room.

While residents are encouraged to donate large unwanted items to charitable organizations, or have them hauled away when the replacement is delivered, it’s not always a viable option. In those cases, residents can obtain a permit so that Paine’s, the trash and recycling hauler for the Town of West Hartford, will pick up the discarded bulky household items at the curb.

There are four different types of permits, and all can be purchased either online through the Town of West Hartford’s website (see “Bulky Collection” under the Public Works tab), by calling Paine’s at 860-844-3000, or in person at Town Hall or the Public Works facility during normal business hours. No matter how you purchase the permit, you must CALL PAINE’S (860-844-3000) to schedule the collection.

As of July 1, permit fees for three of the four collection categories will be changing. A permit for mattresses/box springs is still $45, while permits for bulky items (furniture or structural wood such as fences), appliances, and metals now cost $36. Permit fees are not a revenue source for the town; they are a direct pass-through of the contractor’s costs.

If what you are looking to discard is a large plastic item (for example, a “Little Tykes” slide) that is recyclable but too large for your blue barrel, it can be dropped off at the Recycling and Yard Waste Center at 25 Brixton St., West Hartford. Metal objects can be dropped off there as well. Permits are not required for these types of drop offs.

A few other things to note:

• Regardless of your regular collection day, bulky items and mattresses/box springs are collected on Wednesdays. You must call Paine’s by 2 p.m. on Tuesday to schedule collection.
• Metals and appliances are collected on the regular collection day, but only if you call Paine’s by 2 p.m. at least one day in advance. Residents with Monday collection must schedule by 2 p.m. the Friday prior to the collection.
• You can purchase multiple permits for an assortment of materials to be picked up, but there are limits. Check the town’s website or call Paine’s for the exact details.
• If you purchase a permit and your items are “trash-picked,” you are still on the hook for the permit cost. If you have something that is likely to be picked up quickly from the curbside, you may want to test placing it out there before getting a permit. (But don’t say you read that advice here!)

Any questions? Email them to Dave Gabriele at [email protected].

Recycle This, Trash That, is a community outreach program for the Town of West Hartford funded by Covanta Industries, the town’s trash-to-energy facility. Ronni Newton is contracted as the recycling campaign editor for the Public Works Department in the Town of West Hartford.