Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. Why should I recycle?
- 2. When is my collection day?
- 3. What about holiday week collections?
- 4. I did not receive a recycling calendar. How can I get one?
- 5. When should I put out my recycling?
- 6. Why didn't the truck pick up my recycling?
- 7. Who do I call if my trash/recycling/yardwaste is not picked up?
- 8. What can I recycle?
- 9. How do I put items out for recycling?
- 10. Do I need to rinse out my bottles and cans?
- 11. Do I need to separate cans, bottles and plastic containers from each other?
- 12. What about styrofoam, pizza boxes and microwave food boxes?
- 13. Can I put out more than one recycling bin?
- 14. Where can I get a recycling bin?
- 15. Does the City collect yard waste?
- 16. Is there a place where I can drop-off my yard waste?
- 17. Does the City have a home compost bin program?
- 18. What about Christmas trees?
- 19. Does the City collect Construction & Demolition material?
- 20. What can I do with old paint, used motor oil and other chemicals?
- 21. What can I do with mercury containing items?
- 22. What do I do with unwanted appliances?
- 23. How about CRTs: television sets and computer monitors?
- 24. How about computers, microwaves and other electronics?
- 25. Where can I recycle books, CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes?
- 26. How can I stop junk mail?
- 27. How can I dispose of Air Conditioners, Refrigerators, Freezers, Dehumidifiers?
- 28. How can I Shred Confidential Documents?
1. Why should I recycle?
Recycling is responsible resource management. Recycling reduces pollution, saves energy and saves the City money! Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees. The items that we recycle become other useful products.
2. When is my collection day?
The City is divided into black and orange weeks for recycling collection (Beverly High School colors), so your recycling is collected every other week on the same day your trash is collected. Click here to view the street listing to determine your week (color) and day, and then refer to recycling calendar. Do you have a blue bin? Don’t worry. It will be picked up. Just make sure you have it out on the right week. The recycling calendar is shaded based on the original separation of the City’s recycling routes and distribution of orange and black bins.
3. What about holiday week collections?
When there is a holiday, collections will be delayed 1 day after holiday occurs e.g. if your usual day is Monday and that is a holiday, your trash/recycling day will be Tuesday. Friday’s pickup will be on Saturday that week. If the holiday falls on a Thursday (e.g. Thanksgiving), only Thursday and Friday’s collections would be affected.
4. I did not receive a recycling calendar. How can I get one?
You can pick up a recycling calendar at City Hall (Engineering Department)
You can also view the calendar by clicking here.
5. When should I put out my recycling?
Residents should place their recycling at the curb no later than 7 am on their recycling collection day.
6. Why didn't the truck pick up my recycling?
- Check to make sure you put your recycling out on the correct day/week. Collection Schedule
- Was it recyclable?
- Were paper products bundled from containers?
- Were your recyclables in recycling bin and separate from your trash?
- Was your cardboard 3’ x 3’ or less and tied or taped in bundles of 6” or less?
7. Who do I call if my trash/recycling/yardwaste is not picked up?
Call JRM at 1-800-323-4285
8. What can I recycle?
PAPER: Newspapers including inserts, magazines, catalogs, phone and other paperback books, hardcover books with covers removed, junk mail, clean paperboard such as cereal / pasta boxes / pizza boxes and egg cartons and flattened cardboard no larger than 3 x 3’ are some of the paper type items.
COMMINGLED ITEMS: Metal cans, CLEAN aluminum foil, glass bottles and plastic containers labeled # 1 to 7.
9. How do I put items out for recycling?
All glass, plastic and metal containers, and aluminum foil can be commingled and placed in your recycling bin (or in another like container such as a laundry basket if your bin is full). All newspapers, cereal boxes, junk mail and magazines should be put in brown paper bags like you get at a grocery store and placed beside or on top of recycling bin or in its own recycling bin. Cardboard should be flattened and tied or taped in bundles or bundled with twine no larger than 3 feet by 3 feet by 6 inches thick. Do not place any items in plastic bags and do not commingle paper with containers. Place your recycling separate from your trash. Click here to view recycling products.
10. Do I need to rinse out my bottles and cans?
Rinsing cans, bottles and jars helps to reduce odor and discourage pests from invading your bin. An easy way to do this is to place cans and bottles and plastics in your dishwasher or rinse them with the rinse water after you have finished your dishes. Labels and neck rings do not need to be removed.
11. Do I need to separate cans, bottles and plastic containers from each other?
All glass, plastic and metal containers, and aluminum foil can be placed (commingled) in your recycling bin (or in another like container such as a laundry basket or a dedicated and marked barrel if your bin is full).
12. What about styrofoam, pizza boxes and microwave food boxes?
Styrofoam is not recyclable in our program however your pizza boxes and microwavable food boxes shall be recycled with your paper.
13. Can I put out more than one recycling bin?
Yes!
14. Where can I get a recycling bin?
Bins are available for $5 in City Hall in the Engineering Department (2nd floor). 65 gallon carts for recycling of paper and paper products including cardboard are available by appointment with the Engineering Department, (978) 921-6000 x2355, for a discounted price of $35 (home delivery an additional $10).
15. Does the City collect yard waste?
Yes! Yard waste collections are scheduled for several weeks in the spring and fall and occur on your regular recycling day. Click here to view recycling calendar. Yard waste should be place loose in open trash barrels or in the large paper yard waste bags available at many stores. Not acceptable: plastic bags, boxes, and tree stumps and large tree limbs.
16. Is there a place where I can drop-off my yard waste?
The City operates a compost site at 16 Standley Road (Directions) that is opened from March 1 to December 23, 2013 (or first significant snowfall) on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 am to 3:30 pm. Residents are allowed to bring leaves, grass clippings, branches up to 2” in diameter and Christmas trees.
17. Does the City have a home compost bin program?
The City offers home compost bins for sale at a reduced rate. Call the Community Development Office at (978) 921-6000 x2382 for more information.
18. What about Christmas trees?
Residents who want to recycle their Christmas trees are asked to bring them to compost facility when open. See question 16. You can also see the Recycling Calendar for a one time yearly pick up.
19. Does the City collect Construction & Demolition material?
The City of Beverly does not have the ability to pick up any construction and demolition material with either trash or recycling. This category generally includes asphalt, bricks, concrete and other masonry materials, soil, rock, wall coverings, drywall, plumbing fixtures, insulation, roofing shingles, plate glass, metal, wood waste, and electrical wires).
Click here to view C & D disposal options.
20. What can I do with old paint, used motor oil and other chemicals?
- Used motor oil can be brought to the DPS Garage, 148 Park Street 7:30 am to 3 pm Mondays through Fridays or by appointment. (978) 921-6053
- Latex paint can be dried out (solidify with kitty litter or with specifically designed products that are now available) and placed in the trash.
- Oil based paints, chemical and other household hazardous waste should be brought to the City’s annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection scheduled in April. For more information, call the Board of Health (978) 921-8591.
21. What can I do with mercury containing items?
Compact fluorescent bulbs, thermometers, thermostats, mercury switches and button batteries can be brought to the Board of Health at 90 Colon Street during normal business hours. Call (978) 921-8591 for more information.
Bring 2' and 4' fluorescent tubes to Dawson's Hardware on Enon Street.
22. What do I do with unwanted appliances?
Call (978) 921-6000 x2355 (Engineering Department) to schedule a pick up. Pick up is the 3rd Saturday of each month. Freon must be removed from refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and de-humidifiers by a licensed technician and documentation submitted to Engineering Dept in order to be picked up. For other small appliances see below.
23. How about CRTs: television sets and computer monitors?
Residents must purchase a $20 sticker at the Engineering Department (2nd floor, City Hall). Pick up is the 3rd Saturday of every month. Call (978) 921-6000 ext. 2355 (Engineering) for more information. Tube TV's and monitors less than 32" can be taken to Best Buy for free. Best Buy also takes flat-panel TVs and monitors up to 60".
24. How about computers, microwaves and other electronics?
Non-freon bearing small appliances and computers (for computer monitors, see above) and accessories may be discarded in the regular trash but if they are useable, first try to find a place where they can be put to use.
25. Where can I recycle books, CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes?
There are several options for recycling these items.
26. How can I stop junk mail?
An organization called 41 pounds can help. See link.
27. How can I dispose of Air Conditioners, Refrigerators, Freezers, Dehumidifiers?
You will need to have the freon removed first. See link.
28. How can I Shred Confidential Documents?
JRM Option
JRM offers confidential shredding for our municipal individual residents for a fee of $50 per location. This includes up to (3) 1x3 foot boxes of material. Must be a resident of a City or Town that JRM is the hauling contractor. All shredding is done on site by our mobile shredding truck. The pick up can be scheduled by calling our office at 978-536-2500.
This rate is only for residential and not for businesses who require shredding services. Commercial accounts can contact us at the same number for a commercial quote.