For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: ben@jgpr.net

East Bridgewater Department of Public Works Announces New Curbside Trash and Recycling Program

Sign-Up Now Open, Service Begins July 1

EAST BRIDGEWATER —  Department of Public Works Director John B. Haines, with the support of the East Bridgewater Board of Selectmen, is pleased to announce the town’s new Curbside Trash and Recycling Program.

Sign up for the new program between now and June 1 to enroll. Service will begin on July 1.

NEW PROGRAM, SAME GREAT SERVICE

• Yellow trash bags will be replaced with a new portable 64-gallon trash toter, similar to the recycling bins already in use. All household trash can go into the new toter. The toters will be provided by Republic Services.
• All residents who are enrolled in the current “pay as you throw” program will automatically be opted into the new program.
• Trash will continue to be collected at the curb every week and recycling will be picked up every other week.
• The cost of the program for both trash and recycling is $25 per month and will be billed semiannually. This is a savings of at least $60 per year compared to local competitors.
• If you cannot fit all your trash in the toter, yellow bags will still be available at participating stores for occasional overflow. The bags will only be collected if you participate in the toter program. DPW can provide a second recycling toter at no cost, and a second trash toter for $125 annually.
• Disposal of one large item per week will be permitted at NO COST.
• Participation in the program also grants you free access to the Town’s Recycling Center. If you choose not to participate in the program, but want to use the Recycling Center, a Permit Sticker costs $75 per year. Permit Stickers are available at the DPW or Town Hall after June 1.
• Please note that the Town’s Curbside Trash & Recycling Toter program isvoluntary.

WHY THE NEED FOR THE NEW PROGRAM?

• The pay-as-you-throw program has never been sustainable. The town has been subsidizing the full cost of the service with money obtained through a legal settlement with former trash company BFI. The settlement was reached more than 20 years ago. After many years of offsetting the cost of the current trash program, the money in that fund has now been exhausted.
• The town does not sell enough yellow trash bags to cover the cost of collecting and disposing trash.
• Officials have listened to many residents who feel that buying the yellow bags is an inconvenience and that they are of low quality. If the current program were to remain in place, the town would have to increase the cost of large bags to $8 apiece in order to fully fund the service.
• The new program offers the same service as competing vendors and addresses the vast majority of concerns officials have heard from the residents.
• If the new program was not put into place, the town would likely have to eliminate the service entirely. This would mean that each resident would need to subscribe to their own private hauler to collect and dispose of their trash and recycling. This would have a substantial impact on roads and traffic, as more trash and recycling trucks would be traveling through town on a much more frequent basis.

WHERE DO I SIGN UP?

Residents interested in participating in the new Curbside Trash and Recycling Program should call the East Bridgewater DPW office at 508 378-1620.

You can also sign up online on the DPW website before June 1.

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