In observance of National Public Works Week, an open house and paper shredding event will be held at the West Hartford Department of Public Works facility on Brixton Street on Saturday, May 16, 2026, and the following day the MDC will collect household hazardous waste.

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford’s Department of Public Works facility on Brixton Street will have multiple activities taking place the weekend of May 16-17 as National Public Works Week gets underway.

The theme for this year’s Public Works Week is “Rooted in Service, Powered by Community,” and the open house planned for Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. until noon, is designed to be a family fun day. According to the announcement, the open house will include games for all ages, an equipment showcase, touch-a-truck, and information about recycling.

West Hartford, along with 34 other communities, is participating in Connecticut’s “Fill-A-Public Works Truck” campaign, and those attending the open house are asked to bring non-perishable foods and household goods to fill the truck in support of the West Hartford Food Pantry as well as other community food banks.

Courtesy image

Paper Shredding

At the same time as the Public Works open house, the Town of West Hartford will also be holding a paper shredding event.

Residents can bring their confidential papers to the Department of Public Works Oakwood extension facility on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. until noon – or when the truck is full – for safe and secure shredding, at no charge. The shredding event is open to residents only, not businesses, and IDs will be checked.

Residents are limited to drop off two copy paper boxes or the equivalent (roughly 9-inches-by-11-inches-by-18-inches); plastic bags are not acceptable. Only sensitive documents should be brought to this event (please separate junk mail, envelopes, and other non-sensitive papers for recycling curbside in the blue recycling barrel) in order to ensure capacity in the Infoshred truck for as many residents as possible to make use of this service.

“Paper collected by Infoshred is safely shredded on-site, then shredded again before being baled at Infoshred’s secure facility,” the town said in an announcement of the shredding event. ” 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 landfills.”

The address to access the paper shredding event is 17 Brixton Street, but the entrance is on Oakwood Avenue, just past the intersection with Brixton Street. Signage will be in place to direct drivers to the correct location.

There will also be a collection of non-perishables for the West Hartford Food Pantry at the paper shredding event.

Courtesy photo (we-ha.com file photo)

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Weekend activity will continue at West Hartford’s Department of Public Works Brixton Street facility on Sunday, May 17, when the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) will host a free Hazardous Waste Collection event.

The collection will be held from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., at 17 Brixton Street (entrance is on Oakwood Avenue, just past the intersection with Brixton Street) and signage will direct drivers to the proper location.

Sunday’s event is one of two in West Hartford this year (the other will be on Saturday, Sept. 26) and one of 10 MDC collections, and all are open to any of the MDC participating towns, which include West Hartford as well as Bloomfield, East Granby, East Hartford, Hartford, Newington, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor, and Windsor Locks. You must bring your ID showing that you are a resident of one of the participating towns. For a complete list of locations and dates, please see the MDC website.

Household hazardous wastes include items that cannot be safely thrown away as trash or poured down the drain, and through the MDC HazWaste program the items will be disposed of in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. These items include kitchen cleaners, chemicals typically used in a garage or workshops, hobby solvents, and yard insecticides. A complete list of eligible materials can be found here.

The town urges residents take note of these tips:

• Do not mix different products together.
• Do not smoke in your car or near the collection area.
• Be prepared to wait between 5 and 30 minutes. Bring something to read for yourself and a game or toy to entertain your child.

For more information, call the MDC HazWaste Hotline at 860-278-3809 or visit the website.

The MDC has scheduled a Household Hazardous Waste Collection in West Hartford. Courtesy photo (we-ha.com file photo)

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