Everything you wanted to know about West Hartford’s Yard Waste and Recycling Center.

By Katherine Bruns

A lot of what we put in the trash isn’t really trash. Items like textiles, outdated books, metals, paints, and electronics (TVs!) can be recycled, just not in the blue barrel.

These items are accepted at West Hartford’s Yard Waste and Recycling Center, 25 Brixton St. So, in addition to recycling what you can at home, below is a list of items that can be recycled, just not curbside.

Items that you can bring to the Yard Waste and Recycling Center at 25 Brixton St., West Hartford:

• Books – hardcover and softback books, textbooks, magazines (Got any aging encyclopedias?)
• Brush (no greater than 4 inches in diameter and 4 feet in length)
• Clean fill and concrete rubble with a 1/2 cu. yd. maximum drop-off
• Electronics: computers, monitors, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, copiers, microwaves, telephones, and anything with a plug and no Freon. Items not accepted: smoke detectors, hazardous materials, humidifiers/dehumidifiers and air conditioners
• Household recycling – plastic bottles, containers, tubs, and single-use cups; glass, cardboard, boxboard, paper, metal containers (cans, aluminum foil, foil containers, food grade aerosol containers)
• Leaves – delivered in bulk or 30-gallon biodegradable paper bags. No plastic bags accepted
• Mattresses and box springs (must not be wet)
• Mercury thermostats only
• Paint – must be in labeled containers
• Scrap metal – items must be completely metal (hangers, bikes, pans)
• Textiles – must be in bags. Items include clothing, bed sheets, blankets, comforters, boots, coats, curtains, draperies, hats, jackets, purses, shoes, socks, stuffed animals, suits, sweaters, table linens, ties, and undergarments. Worn, torn, ripped, and stained items are acceptable. No rugs.

The Yard Waste and Recycling Center is for West Hartford residents with an annual permit. Permits can be purchased online anytime, but they must be picked up in the Department of Public Works front office, 17 Brixton St., during the hours listed below.

Permits can be purchased and/or picked up in person Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. The Recycling Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., (last vehicle accepted at 2:45 p.m.), and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon (last vehicle at 11:45 a.m.), and closed on major holidays. Saturday hours are from the first Saturday in April to Dec. 14. It is closed on Saturdays from Dec. 28 through the end of March.

Please note that broken furniture, carpets, and appliances are not accepted. Please call Paine’s, Inc. at 860-844-3000 to schedule a “bulky waste pick-up.”

Construction debris: Call CWPM at 860-747-1335. Drop it off in Berlin, CT, for a fee.

For branches larger than 4 inches in diameter, contact the following places: We Care Denali, 232 Colt Hwy., Farmington, 860-674-8855; Green Earth Recycling, 61E Dudley Town Rd., Bloomfield, 860-242-2325; Supreme Forest, 49 Depaolo Dr., Southington, 860-485-1636.

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