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Recycling & Solid Waste
Reducing solid waste continues to be a priority and the Selectmen encourage residents to challenge themselves to reduce their household solid waste by keeping more out of the trash bag. Follow the links below for information on recycling at Weston's Transfer Station and how you can further reduce your household trash.
Tons Per Household
While Weston’s solid waste tons per household have been decreasing ever so slightly over the last five years (1.12 tons in 2011 vs. .96 tons in 2016), Weston’s recycling rate has remained rather stagnant at 32% over the same time period. Many factors contribute to this stagnant rate; however, we should be striving to decrease the household tonnage of solid waste even more. The goal weight: reduce the average tons per household to .80
Don't Treat it Like Garbage
So what more can stay out of the trash bag? The Goodwill trailer is a great place to start. The average Mass. resident throws away about 70 pounds of reusable textiles each year—and that’s not counting thrift store-quality clothes. Tattered/stained textiles, such as ripped clothing/socks, old sneakers, stained tablecloths, are a valuable commodity. Items that can’t be sold in the thrift store are sold for a variety of other uses.
What more? Old electronics, such as remotes and webcams, can be recycled, too. A new trailer was introduced last year at the Transfer Station to take your old fax machine, computer mouse, TV, phone chargers and so much more. Check the link below for a list.
Recycling is not just good for the environment and state-mandated, but it also saves the Town money. During
What Can Be Recycled?
Follow these links below to learn more about keeping more out of the solid waste stream:
MassDEP Regulations
Since the '90s, state regulations have restricted certain materials from landfills, combustion facilities, and transfer facilities. These items include yard waste, metal, glass, aluminum, plastic, recyclable paper, and other materials.
Background Information
As a designated Green Community by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, facilitating recycling and minimizing solid waste disposal is a desirable goal of the Town of Weston and as such, the Board of Selectmen convened a Recycling and Solid Waste Committee to research current best practices in municipal recycling and solid waste disposal and to consider opportunities for improvement for Weston. Currently, Weston generates more than one ton of trash per household, per year, which places Weston in the top 10 percent of solid waste generation in the state.