About Us

A Little History

The Refuse District is an example of regional cooperation providing a needed municipal service: solid waste disposal and a wide range of recycling programs. The District was formed in 1979 with the signing of an Inter-Municipal Agreement amongst the towns of Acushnet, Dartmouth and Fairhaven with the City of New Bedford. Acushnet and Fairhaven soon dropped out, but Dartmouth had land available for a landfill, and New Bedford was willing to put up 80% of the design, engineering and construction costs to start a 70 acre landfill.

Crapo Hill Landfill opened for business in January 1995. It accepts 574 tons per day. The District is governed by a District Committee, three members from New Bedford and three members from Dartmouth.

The Crapo Hill Landfill is a remarkable financial success:

• Very low disposal costs for Dartmouth and New Bedford
• Favorable rates for commercial waste under contract
• At least 50% longer life expected (30 years)
• SWANA national awards 2010:  Gold Landfill Management Excellence Award
• Silver Landfill Gas Utilization Award
• Innovative capture of landfill gases
• Generation of 3.4 megawatts of electricity sold to the grid

The District is run by a staff of (15) fifteen –  (9) nine at the Landfill, (3) three in Administration, and (3) three in Waste Reduction. The landfill staff are all cross-trained and handle many construction projects in-house in a very cost-effective manner. Please call Anthony Novelli, Executive Director at (508)-763-5924 for additional information.

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Backyard Composting

Have you tried backyard composting? Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and coffee filters, eggshells, tea bags, nut shells, grass, leaves, and twigs become nutrient-rich soil amendment for your garden. Save money on compost, while saving space in your trash cart or bag!

Purchase a Compost Bin

The District sells two types of compost bins – the Earth Machine and the New Age Composter. Please see a comparison of the two bins HERE. To purchase a compost bin, please follow these instructions:

• New Bedford and Dartmouth residents only, ID required.
• Both types of bins cost $25 each. Cash (exact amount preferred), check, or money order only. No credit or debit cards.
• Hours: Monday – Friday 7:15 a.m. – 3:00 p. m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. -10:45 a.m. at the landfill scale house.
• Address: 300 Samuel Barnet Blvd, New Bedford, MA 02745. Please go to the scale house.

Why Compost?

The benefits of composting include:

• Composting saves you money by reducing the need for trash bags.
• Composting preserves nutrients allowing you to return them to the soil, plants, flowers, and trees rather than throwing them in the trash.
• Composting saves space in our local landfill. Food waste makes up around 20% of disposed trash in Massachusetts.
• Gardeners have free compost and reduced need for soil, fertilizer, and water.

How to Compost?

Below are the steps to compost:

1. Purchase or make a compost bin.
2. Find a container for collecting compostable materials such as a pot with a lid, a bowl, or a pail.
3. Place materials such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and coffee filters, eggshells, tea bags, nut shells, grass, leaves, and twigs in the compost bin. No meats, bones, fats, dairy, or plastics.
4. Want to help the decomposition process?

a. Keep the materials damp by adding water. A moisture level like that of a wrung-out sponge works well.
b. Turn the materials with a pitchfork or shovel. This allows oxygen into the center and bottom of the pile, preventing odors.

Click here for more details: http://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home or https://www.mass.gov/lists/home-composting-green-landscaping

If you have questions about composting, please email Marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org or call (508) 979-1493.