Curbside Collection & Recycling

The Town of West Hartford strives to provide safe and reliable refuse and recycling services for all its eligible properties. Eligible properties are residential properties with (3) three or fewer dwelling units.

Refuse and Recycling collection services are contracted with All American Waste (formerly Paine's Inc.) at (860) 289-7850 based in East Granby, Connecticut. For the past 25 years, West Hartford's refuse has been delivered to a trash to energy plant and we continue to do so with Convanta Industries located in Bristol, Connecticut.

Recycling is collected every other week (bi-weekly). Please refer to the collection schedule.

Street CollectioN Look up

A/B Collection Schedule

2025 Holiday schedule

Guidelines for Recycling Products

Guides to Recycling

Aluminum & Metal Cans

Cardboard & Food Boxes

Glass Bottles & Jars

Mattresses

In 2015 Connecticut passed a law mandating that mattresses be recycled. Eighty percent of a mattress can be recycled and turned into new and valuable material!

West Hartford residents have several options for recycling mattresses:

Drop off at the Yard Waste and Recycling Center at 25 Brixton St. Permit required to use the facility.
Call Paine’s at 860-844-3000 or click on the Bulky Waste link on town website to purchase a permit for a bulky waste pick-up.
Search Bye Bye Mattress for drop off locations.

Paper

Plastic Containers

Recycling Plastics - Empty and rinse all containers. It is not necessary to remove labels.

You may recycle these items in your single stream cart

Plastic bottles, containers, tubs, lids and single-use cups (no lids or straws)
Including bottles, jars, jugs and
Other rigid plastic containers

Please DO NOT include

Plastic Film
Plastic Bags
Paint
Pesticides
Oils & Cleaners
VHS/VCR tapes
Phones
Computers
Needles or syringes
Styrofoam to-go containers
Organic material & food waste

The Dirty Dozen

Recycling Waste Wizard

Have you tried using the Recycling Wizard? Recycling is now easier than ever! Just use the helpful West Hartford Recycles A-Z waste wizard to get answers to your questions about how to recycle, reuse, and properly dispose of hundreds of items. View more to see how it works!

DO

1. Place your barrel(s) out before 6 AM on collection day. Please note, that material to be presented for collection cannot be placed at the curb more than 24 hours in advance of your scheduled collection date.

2. Keep the lid facing the street.

3. Make sure all items and material are placed inside the barrel(s).

4. Make sure the barrel(s) are at least 2 feet apart.

5. Obtain a permit online (credit card) or in person (cash/check) at DPW or Town Hall, prior to scheduling a bulk pick-up.

6. Contact the Town or All American Waste to change from 95-gallon barrel(s) to 65-gallon barrel(s) (single residences only)

7. Report missed collections to the Town or All American Waste if the barrel(s) were placed out before 6 a.m. on collection day.

8. Contact the Town or All American Waste if your barrels are damaged or stolen.

9. Use only barrels issued by the Town.

10. Remove barrel(s) within 24 hours after 6:00 a.m. of your scheduled collection day.

11. Make sure recycling items are placed in the blue recycling container, and regular household waste is placed in the green barrel.

DON'T

1. Place any barrel(s) in the street.

2. Put explosives, automotive parts, animal remains, or biological, hazardous, liquid, radioactive, human or animal waste in your barrel.

3. Put leaves, grass clippings, brush, and branches in your barrels. (Brush and branches may be brought to the Recycling Center on Brixton Street after proper permits have been obtained).

4. Place hot ashes or coals into your barrels.

5. Paint, mark or otherwise damage your barrel(s). Remember you are responsible for your barrel(s) and any damage caused by you.

Yard Waste Collection

Town of West Hartford offers residents a biweekly way to remove yard waste. The program runs April 1 through October 31. View complete details and information.

Refuse & Recycling Cart Maintenance and Use Policy

Refuse & Recycling Cart Maintenance and Use Policy

Preface

Primary refuse and recycling carts are the property of West Hartford Department of Public Works. The carts are used to hold refuse and recycling material for its curbside automation refuse/recycling collection program. The material collected from refuse and recycling carts is transported to a disposal or material handling facility. The town is subject to their policies and regulations on what material is accepted and what can be rejected.

Introduction

The Department of Public Works issues a single cart for refuse collection and a single cart for recycling material collection programs. Each town resident is responsible for materials placed in the carts and for routine maintenance such as keeping the carts clean, removing carts from the street or lane after being emptied to prevent damage, and storing carts in a safe place.

Rules for Trash Cart

Trash must be bagged and placed inside of the town-issued green cart. Trash cannot be loose inside the carts. Trash in cardboard boxes will not be picked up.
Any Trash bag or loose items placed outside of the cart will not be picked up. Additional trash carts are available at full cost of collection and disposal plus a town added convenience fee.
Do not overfill the cart or pack trash too tightly. Always keep your cart lid closed.
Do not put garbage on top of the cart lid.
Any damage to the trash cart or recycling carts by improper use or care will result in the property being billed for repair and/or replacement. Includes any damage by animals. It’s important to maintain carts in good working order.
Seasonal yard waste and décor such as grass clippings, bush clippings, small brush, plants, sticks, hay/straw bales, pumpkins, squash, gourds, corn stalks/shucks and other organics shall not be place in the cart and shall be recycled at the town organic yard waste drop off center; annual permit required. Households that put prohibited items in their recycling cart will be skipped from collection.
Do not put hot items such as charcoal/coals/ash/cooking oil in your cart.
Other items not allowed in the trash carts include, but not limited to: explosives/fireworks, radioactive materials, animal remains, paint, solvents, glue, car batteries, automotive parts, tires, acids, antifreeze, gasoline, gas cans, motor vehicle fluids, liquid propane gas tanks, chemicals all kinds, cooking oils, household hazardous waste, pesticides, medical waste, cement, sand, rocks, bricks, soil, infectious waste, poisons, asbestos, shellac, tar, tree stumps, tires, large amounts of remodeling or demolition materials (loose).
Sharps/Needles must be properly disposed of by sealing them in rigid, puncture-resistant containers that you cannot see through (i.e. bleach or detergent bottles, coffee cans, etc) and labeled “DO NOT RECYCLE”. Reinforce with heavy-duty tape before throwing them in your household trash.
Do not throw loose needles in trash, flush down toilet, place in soda cans, or put in recycling.
Households that put prohibited items in their trash carts will be refused waste services, ticketed and/or fined.

Rules for Recycling Cart

Do NOT bag recyclables in plastic bags
Curbside Recycling, using your town-issued Blue cart is mandatory in West Hartford. Recycling is picked-up every other week (as of July 1, 2019). To check your collection week please visit All American Waste's website .
If your cart is lost or stolen, please call 860-561-8100 to purchase a replacement.
Items that can be recycled are:
- Household metal (cans made of steel, tin and aluminum)
- Household plastics (See What's In What's Out)
- Glass jars and bottles
- Paper (junk mail, paperboard, newspaper, magazines, phone books, office paper)
- Cardboard (see note)
Do not put Styrofoam, garbage, compost, food, animal waste, electrical cords, tires, garden hoses, and film plastics or plastic bags in your recycling cart. Households that put prohibited items in their recycling cart will be skipped from collection.
Note: Cardboard boxes and other bulky recyclables must be broken down and placed in your recycling cart. If broken down boxes and other items still will not fit in your recycle cart, they can be dropped off at the Public Works Recycling Center; annual permit required. Cardboard boxes and other recyclables that are not properly prepared or placed in the cart curbside will not be collected.
No Film Plastics
For additional recycling information go to CT's Department of Energy & Environmental Protection or call Public Works 860-561-8100.

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