The Franklin County Solid Waste Management District will hold its “Clean Sweep” Bulky Waste Recycling Day on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to noon at three collection sites.
The collection locations are the Erving Highway Garage on Public Works Boulevard (off Route 2), Mohawk Trail Regional School at 26 Ashfield Road (Route 112) in Buckland and the Whately Transfer Station at 73 Christian Lane.
Residents and businesses from any of the district’s 21 member towns may bring bulky items to this collection. There are charges for most items (cash only). A price list for the most common items can be viewed at franklincountywastedistrict.org. Advance registration is not required for Bulky Waste Recycling Day.
Acceptable items include tires, appliances, refrigerators, air conditioners, scrap metal, furniture, carpeting, construction debris, computers, televisions, propane gas tanks, bulky rigid plastics and other large items. Materials will be recycled whenever possible.
According to the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, an important change for this collection is that textiles and books will not be accepted, with one exception: books will still be accepted at the Whately collection site.
Every municipal transfer station in Franklin County has a textile recycling dropbox, and other boxes are available across the region. A textile collection is held on the second Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the municipal parking lot between Chapman and Davis streets in Greenfield.
Books in any condition (except moldy) are accepted for reuse or recycling at Roundabout Books in Greenfield, the waste management district advises. More information is available at roundaboutbookstore.com/pages/donating or by calling 413-773-0820.
Mattresses and box springs will not be accepted at this collection. There are five regional mattress recycling locations across Franklin County, which are open year-round. For locations, pricing and hours, visit franklincountywastedistrict.org/mattress-recycling.
Electronics are accepted at the district’s 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. According to the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, Staples stores accept most types of computer equipment free of charge, but will not accept TVs. Residents are advised to call the store for details.
Saturday’s collection event will also accept bulky rigid plastics for a special recycling program. The cost is $5 per load of acceptable items. This recycling program only accepts the following items: clean and empty 5-gallon pails, plastic lawn furniture, laundry baskets, storage totes, plastic trash barrels, recycling bins and milk crates.
Before sending unwanted items for disposal or recycling, residents are advised to consider offering them for reuse. Various charities, including local Salvation Army and Goodwill stores and nonprofits, accept donations of household items and working electronics. The waste management district advises to always call ahead to ask if an item will be accepted. Alternatively, residents can offer reusable items on a local “Buy Nothing” Facebook group, Freecycle group or local town groups such as Nextdoor.
For more information, visit franklincountywastedistrict.org, or contact the district at info@franklincountywastedistrict.org or 413-772-2438.
