Solid Waste Division

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The Solid Waste Division consists of 3 employees who oversee the collection and disposal of Town refuse. Services include assisting residents deposit trash and recyclables into proper containers; hauling trash and recyclables to disposal sites; manage stockpiles of compost and mulch for residents use; and assist with winter snow plowing.

Southwick continues to promote recycling in order to reduce operating costs and meet goals established in MassDEP’s 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan by reducing our annual solid waste disposal by at least 30% from 2020 to 2030 and a reduction of at least 90% by 2050. 

The following table summarizes the volume (measured in tons) of recyclables the Town collected from 2018 to 2023:

Trash & Recycables (measured in tons)
2018
20192020202120222023
General Trash2,2102,0242,2592,2022,0452,007.5
Paper258270276262247237
Bottles and Cans170183186175155148
Rigid Plastic**91517.5181725
Wood Recycling**n/a267369.5259231296
Scrap Metal188150193152129116
Electronics & Appliances313131312018
Mattresses & Boxsprings13131312.5128.5
Tires2439.546
Textiles689.2510.6510.411
Books111111
Lamps & Batteries2221.522
Waste Oil & Antifreeze696152
Leaves & Grass Clippings*100100100100100100
Wood Chips*808080808080
Total Tonnage3,0763,1573,546.253,315.153,058.33777.9
Recyclable Tonnage8661,1331,287.251,113.151,013.31770.4
Recyclables to total waste stream28.16%35.89%36.29%33.57%33.13%46.86%

*Estimated

**Wood recycling started in April 2019

Use the following link to a directory of vendors that accept unique or hard-to-handle items that many municipalities do not accept: www.recyclesearch.com

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