New Bedford Recycling
The City of New Bedford offers a wide variety of programs and services that help residents manage their waste. By reducing waste, we can extend the life of the Crapo Hill Landfill.
Recycle Smart MA Recyclopedia
Have you ever been unsure about which items can be recycled, or which items are considered too hazardous to put in your trash bin? Type the name of the item in the Recyclopedia from Recycle Smart MA and find out!
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:
- Purchase or make a compost bin.
- Find a container for collecting compostable materials such as a pot with a lid, a bowl, or a pail.
- 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.
- 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.
More Information About New Bedford’s Programs
City of New Bedford Solid Waste & Recycling Information