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Recycling
«-- Recycling Home        
  Recycling Drop-Off Center
  Hazardous Waste Collections       Donate & Recycle Listings     Contact Us
 
Who May Use the Center? Drop-Off Center hours:  Where is the Center?

Cambridge residents only and small businesses and non-profit organizations in Cambridge with 50 employees or less may use the Recycling Drop-Off Center.

Use of the Center is free of charge.

Tuesdays & Thursdays:
4:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Saturdays:
9:00 am to 4:00 pm

The DPW yard is closed to the public at all other times.

In the back of the Public Works Yard at 147 Hampshire Street.

Click here for to view a map of the Center.
Proof of residency or occupancy required upon request.

In this section:
Accepted Materials
 

The Drop-Off Center accepts mixed and separated white paper; flattened down cardboard; and rinsed out glass, plastic and metal containers during Drop-off open hours ONLY.

We also accept:

Material
How to Prepare
What is Not Accepted
Books
 • Hard & Soft Cover
During open hours ONLY.		  • Bring old books and take a few yourself.
 • Place large quantities in cardboard box or plastic bag.		  

Cartridges
 • Ink jet, toner, laser
During open hours ONLY.

• All used cartridges from laser and ink jet printers.
• Place ink jets in plastic bags to avoid it leaking.

  
Clothing
During open hours ONLY. 		 • Items must be clean and dry.
 • Place in plastic bag.
 • Also accepted at Planet Aid locations throughout Cambridge.		  

Electronics
During open hours ONLY.

Anything with a cord or battery operated electronic that one person can lift.

No computer monitors and no TVs. <<MORE

Lamps, stereos, VCRs, hair dryers, answering machines, vacuums, etc.

The City has a contract with a licensed recycler. Any CPU that our vendor salvages for reuse is scrubbed clean of all information. Otherwise, items are shredded, separated by material and recycled.

No computer monitors and no TVs.

Click here for curbside collection information for residents. A sticker is required for screens with a diagonal length more than 20”. ($20, $15 for seniors)

No industrial or commercial items.
Food waste Click here for more info.  
Plastic Bags
During open hours ONLY. 		Keep bags free from waste.

• No bags with food waste
• Clean bags only
<< MORE INFO

 
Packaging "Peanuts"
During open hours ONLY. 		Place in plastic bag. No Styrofoam packaging, cups, trays, plates or clamshells. <<MORE INFO
Scrap Metal
During open hours ONLY. 		<<MORE INFO <<MORE INFO
Tyvek Envelopes
During open hours ONLY. 		Clean, empty tyvek envelopes. Detach any bubble wrap or other materials. • No manila envelopes with bubble wrap attached.
• No housewrap.

 
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Hazardous Materials Accepted
 

The Recycling Drop-Off Center accepts the following hazardous products during Drop-off open hours ONLY including:

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Material
How to Prepare
What is Not Accepted

Non-Alkaline Batteries
• Lead Acid
• Lithium Ion
• Mercury
• Nickel Cadmium
• Nickel Metal   Hydride
• Silver Oxide

All batteries indicate type.
During open hours ONLY.

Separate out alkaline batteries and safely dispose with the trash.

Place lithium ion and rusty, leaking batteries separately in a tightly sealed plastic bag.		  • NO alkaline batteries
 • NO car batteries
 • NO batteries from businesses

Alkaline batteries made in the USA after 1994 do not contain mercury and can be disposed of in trash. Duracell and Energizer stopped using mercury in 1984. Batteries with a green tree logo or the words "no added mercury" or "zero mercury added" are safe to dispose with the trash.
Fluorescent Bulbs
• Straight Lamps
• Compact Lamps
• U-Shaped Lamps
• Circular Lamps
During open hours ONLY. 		• Bring in original   packaging
• Do not tape together
• Do not crush
  • NO fixtures
 • NO non-fluorescent bulbs
 • NO Ballasts
Mercury Thermometers
& Thermostats
During open hours ONLY. 		Place in tightly sealed plastic bag. Do not crush.
  • No alcohol or digital thermometers

Motor Oil
Accepted during:

• Regular  Office Hours   Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm

• Drop-Off Center Hours:
  Tue & Thurs 4-7:30 pm   and Sat 9am-4pm

  • Drain oil into a    container  with a
   tight lid.
 • Follow sign at
   DPW gate to tank    under shed.
 • Ring bell and
   wait for assistance.
• NO motor oil from businesses
• NO automotive liquids or oil mixed with other liquids

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