There will be one week during each of the next three months when the West Hartford Department of Public Works will conduct curbside collection of yard waste.

Yard waste for curbside collection (other than branches) must be placed in 30-gallon biodegradable bags. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

By Ronni Newton

Although there will almost certainly be some cold and nasty days, spring is definitely here. All over West Hartford, residents are rediscovering their yards, priming the grass for its growing season, cleaning up debris left by winter weather, pulling out dead bushes, and even planting hardy annuals like pansies.

West Hartford’s Department of Public Works has announced its 2016 schedule for spring yard waste collection, which will begin the week of April 11 and be held for one week per month over the next three months in order to accommodate all stages of yard clean-up and planting, and to give residents the most opportunity to recycle yard waste.

Collection will be held the weeks of:

• April 11-15
• May 9-13
• June 6-10

According to the Town of West Hartford, “yard waste” is defined as leaves, pine needles, pine cones, acorns, twigs, dead plant matter and thatch.

All yard waste (with the exception of branches and brush specified below) must be placed in 30-gallon paper biodegradable bags. The bags should be placed at the curb on your regular trash collection day. Excessive volume or inclement weather may cause a delay in collection, and the typical delay is one day.

Presenting Spring Yard Waste for collection:

• Residents should place their 30-gallon biodegradable paper bags at the curb by 6 a.m. on their refuse collection day.
• Branches and brush up to 4 inches in diameter and up to 4 feet in length will be accepted only if they are bundled with organic twine.
• Bundles tied with wire, nylon or plastic twine will not be collected. These materials are problematic to the grinding equipment.
• Yard waste bags contaminated with soil, rocks or grass clippings will be marked with an “X” and will no longer be eligible for curbside collection.
• Bags and bundled material must be 4 feet or less in length and weigh no more than 60 pounds.

In addition to participating in the curbside yard waste collection, residents can bring yard waste directly to the Yard Waste and Recycling Center at 25 Brixton St. The center is now run by Supreme Forest Products.

An annual permit ($5 for passenger vehicles, $15 for vans or SUVs, additional costs apply for trailers based on size) is required and can be purchased directly at the Brixton Street facility beginning April 1. Click here for additional information on fees. Permits can be applied for and purchased online by clicking here. 

Permitted residents are able to use the Yard Waste and Recycling Center, at no additional charge, for other recycling opportunities. This includes mattresses/box springs, motor oil and antifreeze, automotive batteries, dirt, concrete, rocks and stones (free of metal), and rigid plastics that don’t fit into the blue bin as well as any other household recyclables.

Relatively new recycling opportunities at the Brixton Street facility include textiles and electronics.

Bay State Textiles, Inc. has been contracted to provide textile recycling for items including: bed sheets, pillow cases, blankets, comforters, belts, boots, coats, curtains, draperies, dresses, flip flops, hats, jackets, jeans, jerseys, pajamas, pants, purses, shirts, shoes, shorts, skirts, socks, stuffed animals, suits, sweaters, sweatpants, sweatshirts, table linens, ties, and undergarments. According to Public Works’ website, worn, torn ripped and stained items are acceptable.

Also recently added to the yard waste and recycling center facility is electronics recycling. According to the Public Works website, acceptable materials include: “computers, monitors, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, PDAs, copiers, microwaves, telephones, and other small appliances.” Smoke detectors, hazardous materials and liquids, and air conditioners are not accepted.

Electronics recycling is operated under contract with Take 2 Inc., which provides assessment of all electronics dropped off at the facility. According to the website, anything with reuse potential is “tested, data is destroyed and all asset tags or identifying marks are removed, prior to being sold or donated for reuse.” Items that are not able to be reused are “recycled using globally accepted best management practices.”

High quality leaf compost is available to residents at the yard waste and recycling center free of charge. Bagged and bulk materials such as bark mulch, top soils, and similar products are also sold at the facility.

The Yard Waste and Recycling Center is open the following hours (Saturday hours begin April 1):

Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Closed Sunday

Supreme Forest Products will accept waste from commercial landscapers and other business entitites for a fee. Click here for more details.

If you have questions or need additional information, contact the Department of Public Works between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 860-561-8100 or visit www.westhartfordct.gov/publicworks.

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