Amesbury solid waste and recycling information

State laws prohibit certain items from being disposed of with your regular trash. If you need to dispose of anything that requires special handling, or if you have questions as to whether or not an item requires special handling, please contact us. We can schedule a special pickup, or direct you as to how to dispose of the item.

Items which require special handling include, but are not limited to the following:

• Liquid waste
• Tires and batteries
• Flammables/corrosives/toxics/compressed gases
• Televisions and computer monitors
• Motor oil
• Any appliance containing freon (refrigerators, air conditioners)
• Yard waste/brush
• Fluorescent lamps
• Propane tanks
• Asbestos
• Construction/demolition debris
• Paint/paint thinner
• Medical waste
• Hazardous waste/pesticides
• Construction/demolition debris

These items are considered household hazardous waste and are not accepted in curbside trash or at the G. Mello Disposal Transfer Station.

• Aerosols
• Automotive Supplies
• Antifreeze
• Oils and other fluids
• Batteries
• Automotive
• Household
• Corrosives
• Expired Medications
• Mercury Containing Products
• Fluorescent Tubes
• Thermometers – silver bulbs
• Thermostats
• Other mercury containing items
• Outdated Medications
• Paint-dispose of through Household Hazardous Waste program.
• Oil based paint – bring oil based paint to the mobile collections; remove lid from latex paint cans, allow to dry completely, and dispose of with your regular garbage.
• Thinners
• Solvents
• Pesticides
• Fungicides
• Herbicides
• Insecticides
• Other Poisons
• Waste Fuels
• Diesel
• Gasoline
• Kerosene
• Other Flammable Liquids

If you have hazardous waste to dispose of, note that some towns host Household Hazardous Waste drop off days. Please check with your town’s DPW or Health Department for more information.

• NO items with food residue such as grease
• NO plastic bags
• NO paper napkins
• NO packing peanuts
• NO waxed cardboard such as juice boxes, juice or milk cartons, coffee cups
• NO textiles
• NO metal hangers
• NO electronics, batteries or cell phones. NO oil or oil-based paint
• NO broken glass, light bulbs, window glass, auto glass, dishes or Pyrex
• NO cans that contained hazardous material or paint
• NO metal other than food cans
• NO STYROFOAM OF ANY KIND

Single stream recycling allows you to place all recyclable items in your bin or container as long as they are properly prepared. Help us by doing your part to prepare your recyclables and educate yourself on what is recyclable and what is not.

Cardboard corrugated, shipping boxes, dry-food boxes, egg cartons, file folders, cardboard cups. Please flatten cardboard. NO waxed cardboard juice boxes or milk cartons. No pizza boxes with food residue or grease stains.

Metal/tin/aluminum food cans and lids, deposit and nondeposit beverage cans (can be flattened), clean aluminum foil and foil pans, and empty aerosol cans. No cans which contained hazardous material or paint.

Plastic plastic containers #1-#7 such as milk jugs, yogurt cups, clear egg cartons, water, juice, soda bottles. Leave caps/lids on. No unnumbered plastic.

Paper office paper, newspapers, junk mail, magazines, phone books, greeting cards, soft cover books, paper bags, tissue paper, gift bags. No paper napkins and no paper plates with food residue.

Glass food jars, beverage bottles. Glass must be clear, green or brown. No broken glass, light bulbs, windows, auto glass, dishes, glasses, or Pyrex.

Latex paint is a water-based, nonhazardous liquid that will solidify when the lids are removed from the containers and paint is allowed to dry out.

• Purchase only the amount of latex paint needed to do the job.
• Give leftover latex paint away.
• If you have left over latex paint TAKE THE LID OFF allowing paint to dry to a solid.
• The more paint the longer it will take to dry.
• To help with drying process ADD KITTY LITTER (clay-based only) to the opened can.
• When dried to a solid, LID-LESS paint may be disposed of with your regular trash.
• This will only work for LATEX PAINT not OIL BASED PAINT.
• Half cans of LATEX PAINT will dry out in approximately 5 days, 2 days with KITTY LITTER.
• New or full cans of LATEX PAINT can still be disposed of through the HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE PROGRAM.