Bi-weekly spring yard waste collection will begin the week of April 7, 2025, with collection on the same day as bi-weekly recycling pick-up, and Saturday hours return April 5 at the Yard Waste and Recycling Center.

By Ronni Newton

With the arrival of spring, West Hartford residents will begin the annual task of clearing their yards in anticipation of the growing season, and the Department of Public Works has announced the resumption of seasonal services and the return of Saturday hours at the Yard Waste & Recycling Center.

Yard waste collection

Beginning April 7, 2025, the Department of Public Works will commence its curbside collection of yard waste. Yard waste collection follows the same schedule as bi-weekly residential recycling.

Residents must put their yard waste out by 6 a.m. on their recycling day. The program runs until the end of October.

Biodegradable bags and/or the brown yard waste cart should be placed at the curb by 6 a.m. to ensure pick up. Residents are asked not to place bags or the cart out prior to the night before the collection day.

The following information is provided on the West Hartford Department of Public Works webpage:

Acceptable Material: yard trimmings, pine needles and pine cones, acorns, twigs, flowers, fruit and vegetables from a household garden, leaves, dead plant matter, and thatch.

Acceptable Presentation:

• 30-gallon biodegradable paper bags
• Bundles of branches no more than 4 inches in diameter and 4 feet in length tied with organic string, twine, or rope. Place bundles next to bags or cart. Bags and bundles must not weigh more than 40 lbs. The material must be manageable for our collection crews to lift.
• Brown yard waste cart (container holds the equivalent of three 30-gallon bags). Cost: $90

Carts may be purchased by:

• Calling Public Works at 860-561-8100, or
• Visiting the DPW website, westhartfordct.gov/pw, or
• Going in person to the Public Works office located at 17 Brixton Street

Unacceptable Material:

• Yard waste in plastic bags, trash cans, cardboard boxes or other containers.
• Bundles tied with wire, nylon rope, or synthetic line of any kind.
• Branches exceeding allowed dimensions.
• Yard waste bags that are contaminated with trash, grass, soil, rocks, bulky, or metal items.

Yard Waste & Recycling Center

The Yard Waste & Recycling Center, located at 25 Brixton Street, is open weekday year round and reopens on Saturdays beginning April 5, 2025. Annual permits are required for use of the facility.

Permits, which are $20 for passenger vehicles with varying costs for other types of vehicles, may be purchased online with a credit card for pick up at Public Works, and can also be purchased directly at the Department of Public Works Office at 17 Brixton Street with a credit card on Wednesday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please note that the office is closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Vehicle registration must be shown when picking up the permit and no commercial or out-of-town vehicles are allowed.

Public Works will hold special Saturday customer service hours for pick-up and purchasing of permits on April 12, April 26, May 10, May 17, June 14, and June 21, from 7 a.m. to noon.

The Yard Waste & Recycling Center is open year-round for unlimited residential use with an annual permit. The Recycling Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon, from April 5 and through mid-December.

Services include:

• Free compost and wood chips, while supplies last (self-service pick up)
• Electronics recycling: TVs, computers, cell phones
• Textile recycling: linens, clothes, shoes, curtains
• Yard Waste disposal of brush and leaves in paper bags or loose
• Dirt, concrete, rocks, stones (remove metal)
• Mattress and box spring recycling
• Household recyclables: plastics, glass, cardboard, boxboard, paper, and cans
• Disposal of paint, metal, and mercury thermostats

Use of the Recycling Center requires an annual fee-based permit for residents owning property in West Hartford.

For more information, call 860-561-8100 or visit www.westhartfordct.gov/pw.

Paper shredding event

Infoshred, LLC will will be providing free shredding of confidential papers for West Hartford residents on Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to noon – or until the truck is full – at West Hartford Department of Public Works. Entrance to the event is from the side entrance to the office, located on Oakwood Avenue just past Brixton Street.

The shredding service is available to West Hartford residents only – not commercial businesses – and ID must be shown. The service is limited to two copy paper boxes (or equivalent 15-inch by 12-inch by 10-inch container) per person, and no junk mail, envelopes, or plastic bags will be accepted.

“Please bring sensitive documents only. Before coming, separate junk mail, other non-sensitive paper, and envelopes and recycle them in a curbside blue barrel. This is a very popular event, and we want to accommodate all residents,” the announcement states.

According to the town, paper collected by Infoshred is safely shredded on-site and then shredded again before being baled at Infoshred’s secure facility. All paper shredded and processed by Infoshred is recycled and turned into new materials like tissue paper, paper towels, and dental bibs, saving trees, protecting the environment, and keeping paper out of the landfill.

Non-perishable food items will also be collected at this event to stock the shelves of the West Hartford Food Pantry.

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