Bulky debris will abound at three drop-off sites come Saturday, when the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District holds its Clean Sweep Bulky Waste Recycling Day.
The three drop-off sites are: the Buckland Recreation Facility at 66 Ashfield Road (Route 112); the Northfield Highway Garage at 49 Caldwell Road; and the Whately Transfer Station at 73 Christian Lane. Collection will take place from 9 a.m. to noon.
According to a press release from the waste district, residents from any of the 21 district towns may bring bulky items such as tires, appliances, scrap metal, furniture, mattresses, carpeting, construction debris, computers, televisions and propane gas tanks. Materials will be recycled whenever possible.
Residents and businesses do not need to register in advance for the collection. However, there are charges for most items, the release states. Disposal fees, cash only, will be collected during check-in at each site.
A complete list of prices for the most common items is available online at bit.ly/33hMInL, as well as at the district office at 50 Miles St. in Greenfield. The price list has also been provided to participating town halls and transfer stations.
Clean, dry textiles and books are accepted for free at each collection site as well, according to the press release. Textiles must be contained inside a sturdy plastic bag. Ninety-five percent of all textiles can be recycled or reused; clothing or linens that are torn or stained, or with missing buttons or broken zippers, can be recycled into insulation.
Acceptable items include clothing, shoes, bras, purses, curtains, pillows, comforters, sheets, towels and stuffed animals. Books can be in any condition except moldy or wet, and can be hardcover or paperback. No encyclopedias will be accepted.
Electronics are accepted at Bulky Waste Recycling Day, but residents are also encouraged to recycle computer equipment and televisions at their town’s transfer station, or at the Greenfield Transfer Station. Staples stores accept computer equipment (no TVs) free of charge, and various charities and non-profits accept donations of working electronics, including Salvation Army and Goodwill.
Bulky rigid plastics will be collected for a special recycling program at a cost of $5 per load, according to the release. Acceptable items for the program are limited to seven categories: 5-gallon pails, plastic lawn furniture, plastic trash barrels, recycling bins, laundry baskets, storage totes and milk crates. Bulky rigid plastic items must be empty and free of batteries, soil, rocks and liquids.
District residents are from the towns of Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shelburne, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell and Whately.
For more information, contact the district office at info@franklincountywastedistrict.org or 413-772-2438.