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How Can I Get Rid of...
Please refer to the following list to learn how you can recycle or dispose of certain items in your home. If your item is not listed, call the Solid Waste and Recycling information line at 781-274-8334.
Appliances/White Goods
Call Capitol Waste Services at 617-569-1718 to schedule an appliance pick-up for items like stoves, refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and water heaters. Call by 3 PM the day before your regular trash day for collection on your regular trash day.
Asbestos
You must use a licensed asbestos removal contractor to dispose of asbestos. Check the Yellow Pages for licensed contractors.
Automobiles
Automobiles and other vehicles can be donated to an area charity for a tax deduction. View the following resources:
Batteries
Alkaline batteries manufactured after 1994 can be thrown out with the regular trash. All alkaline batteries manufactured before 1994, NiCad, button, zinc and lithium batteries should be disposed of through the Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Facility. To recycle rechargeable batteries, call 800-8-BATTERY (800-8-228-8379) or visit Call2Recycle.
Bicycles
Bicycles in any condition can be left at the composting facility at Hartwell Avenue. The Bike Connector takes them for their programs for students and others in need of basic transportation in Lowell and the surrounding communities. Please only leave bicycles and working bicycle components. The Bike Connector cannot take helmets, scooters, children’s toys, trailers, or car racks.
Books
More Than Words empowers youth who are in foster care, court-involved, homeless, or out of school to take a charge of their lives. More Than Words opened its bookstore on Moody Street in Waltham in 2005 and is a non-profit organization. This location can be contacted at 781-788-0035.
Building Materials
Homeowners and contractors can donate good quality used and surplus building materials to
- Building Materials Resource Center. Save on disposal fees and earn tax deductions. Call 617-442-8917 to schedule a pick-up.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStores in North Billerica, Leominster and Worcester. A global nonprofit dedicated to providing housing to families.
Visit the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection website for more options and information.
Carpet
Carpet may be disposed of curbside if cut into 4 feet lengths, rolled and tied. No more than 15 rolls of carpet at a time. Considered a bulky item and each household is allowed only one bulky item per week.
Cell Phones
- Drop off your old cell phone at Staples (located in Burlington and Bedford) as part of a Sierra Club recycling effort.
- Visit the Verizon Wireless website for information on getting cash for your old cell phone.
- Visit Call2Recycle for other drop-off locations.
- Drop off your old cell phones at the Universal Waste Shed located at 60 Hartwell Avenue Compost Facility.
Christmas Tree Recycling
See your Recycling Flyer (PDF) for instructions.
Computers, Keyboards, Printers, Monitors
See "CRTs" in this list.
Construction Debris
This will not be accepted for curbside disposal. Insulation, brick, drywall/plaster soil, gravel, asphalt, shingles and other similar materials are considered construction debris. Residents should properly dispose of this waste by having the contractor completing this work be responsible for removing it. Or contact a local disposal company listed in the yellow pages or newspaper.
CRTs
Cathode Ray Tubes like televisions, computers, keyboards, printers, a mouse, or computer monitors may be disposed of curbside by appointment. Call Capitol Waste Services at 617-569-1718 by 3 PM the business day before your regular trash day to have them picked up on your regular trash day.
Clean Harbors Environmental, Incorporated
Clean Harbors holds collections Saturday mornings from April 1 to October 31 at their facility in Braintree. Visit the Clean Harbors website to view hours, cost, directions and contact information.
Doors
Doors may be disposed of curbside. Considered a bulky item and each household is allowed only one bulky item per week.
Electronics
See "CRTs" in this list. You can also throw away electronic equipment, other than computer monitors and TVs, in the trash.
File Cabinets
Call Capitol Waste Services at 617-569-1718 to schedule a pickup for metal file cabinets.
Fire Extinguishers
Empty fire extinguishers can be thrown away in the curbside trash. If an old fire extinguisher is full, discharge it into a trash bag and then dispose of the bag curbside.
Fencing
For wood fences, see "Wood" in this list.
Fluorescent Bulbs
Dispose of expended or broken fluorescent bulbs at the Minuteman Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Fluorescent bulbs, including energy-saving compacts, contain a small amount of mercury. If a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home, do not inhale the vapor and do not use a vacuum for cleanup. Sweep the pieces together with a brush or broom - not with your hand - and clean up bits of glass with a wet rag or towel, then place the towel and the pieces into a plastic bag. Fluorescent bulbs emit no mercury unless they are broken.
Furniture
Sofas, chairs, recliners, and lawn furniture may be disposed of curbside. Considered a bulky item and each household is allowed only one bulky item per week. Several area charities will also accept donated furniture. To arrange a pickup of furniture and other items at your home call:
- Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
Phone: 781-595-7570, ext. 13 - Second Time Around
Phone: 866-768-3325 - St. Vincent DePaul
Phone: 800-675-2882 - Salvation Army
Phone: 617-542-5420
Grill
Call Capitol Waste Services to schedule a pick up for a gas and charcoal grill at 617-569-1718. Propane tanks must be removed. Empty propane tanks must be taken to the Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Facility.
Household Goods
Bring items in good condition like clothing, linens, household goods, etc. to the Goodwill trailer behind Walgreens on Bedford Street in Lexington, Monday through Saturday 8 AM to 4 PM, or Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM.
Lawn Mower
Lawn mowers may be disposed of curbside as long as the gas and oil are drained. Call Capitol Waste Services at 617-569-1718 to schedule a pickup.
Medical Waste
You may drop off sharps, needles, syringes and expired medicines on scheduled collection days in the parking lot behind the Town Office Building.
Mercury-Containing Products
The Health Department will accept mercury-containing products on a limited basis. Acceptable products include thermostats, switches, thermometers, blood pressure cuffs and barometers. Long fluorescent bulbs and energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, however, will not be accepted but can be disposed of through the Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Facility or at the Universal Waste Shed located at 60 Hartwell Avenue Compost Facility. Please call in advance before bringing products in for disposal at 781-698-4522.
Metal
Large metal items like a desk, wood stove, exercise equipment, bed frame or file cabinet may be disposed of curbside or at the Universal Waste Shed located at 60 Hartwell Avenue Compost Facility. Call Capitol Waste Services at 617-569-1718 to schedule a pickup. Johnny Carrolls on Waltham Street will accept scrap metal. Call 781-861-6060.
Paint
Dried-out latex paint can be disposed of in the trash, or curbside. For small amounts, leave the lid off the paint until dry. For larger amounts, mix with kitty litter or pour into shallow cardboard boxes lined with a trash bag to dry. Dispose of dry paint in the trash. Oil-based paint will not be accepted curbside but may be taken to the Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Facility.
Plastic Bags
Any plastic bag with the recycling triangles on it may be taken to local grocery stores for recycling, including Stop and Shop on Bedford Street in Lexington and Roche Bros on Route 3, and Market Basket on Middlesex Turnpike in Burlington.
Rubber Bands
The United States Post Office reuses rubber bands. Leave them out for your mail carrier, take them to the Post Office, or place them in a bag in a blue mailbox.
Sinks
A sink may be disposed of curbside. They are considered to be a bulky item, and each household is allowed only one bulky item per week.
Smoke Detectors
Most smoke detectors contain small amounts of a radioactive material, Americium 241, and are, by law, labeled as having radioactive content. Smoke detectors may be disposed of through curbside trash collection or recycling (without the batteries and with a 3-triangle recycling symbol) or by returning them to the manufacturer for disposal as hazardous waste. Send smoke detectors by surface or ground mail so they do not end up in an airplane. First Alert Corporation will take back any smoke detector made in Aurora, Illinois. Send to
First Alert
Radioactive Waste Disposal
780 McClure Road
Aurora, IL 60504-2495
Sneakers
Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program collects old sneakers of any brand. This program grinds up the shoes and uses them in the surfacing of playgrounds and athletic courts in underprivileged communities. See the website for details on where you can drop off or mail your old sneakers.
Snowblower
Snowblowers may be disposed of curbside as long as the gas and oil are drained. Call Capitol Waste Services at 617-569-1718 to schedule a pickup.
Television
See "CRTs" on this list.
Thermometers
See "Mercury-Containing Products" on this list.
Tires & Rims
One tire, without rim, may be disposed of curbside per week. These are considered to be a bulky item, and each household is allowed only one bulky item per week. Tire rims ($2 each) may be taken to:
J.P. Carroll Company
700 Waltham Street
Lexington, MA 02420
Phone: 781-861-6060
Toilet
A-1 New and Used Plumbing and Heating Supplies in Somerville will accept toilets as long as they are not chipped, cracked or broken. Call 617-625-6140. Also considered a bulky item and each household is allowed only one bulky item per week in the regular trash.
Wood
Lexington residents may dispose of 5 bundles of wood per week curbside. Wood or limbs may only be 1-3 inches in diameter, less than 3 feet long, and less than 75 pounds. They must be bundled and tied. Wood fences, which have not been painted, stained or treated, may be cut down and prepared as stated above. For pressure-treated wood, please click through to the Department of Environmental Protection website.
Wood Stove
Call Capitol Waste Services to schedule a pickup at 617-569-1718.
Yard Waste
See our yard waste page for collections and drop-off availability. Also, see Trash/Recycling Mailing (PDF).