Republic Services of Watertown, MA
Republic Services is dedicated to handling your recycling and waste needs in a way that is easy, effortless, and environmentally responsible. We work to ensure safe and dependable solutions, and we are a community and business partner you can rely on.
Customer service
Holiday schedule
We observe the following holidays:
New Year's Day
MLK Day
President's Day
Patriots Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Each holiday postpones collection by one day.
Service information
Recycling center hours and tips, holiday schedule, collection calendar and tips, and yard waste and bulk trash information.
Additional resources
See our FAQs for proper disposal of household hazardous waste, bulk items, medical waste, and other questions.
FAQs
Recycling, Yard Waste, Bulk Waste, HHW, Electronics & More
The Town of Watertown is a member of the Minuteman Regional Household Hazardous Products (MHHP) Facility. The MHHP Facility is located in Lexington. The MHHP Facility is open one weekend day from April through November each year, and accepts a wide variety of household hazardous waste. Watertown residents may help protect the environment by taking common household hazardous waste products to the MHHP Facility for disposal.
Please keep all recyclables loose in your toter. Do NOT bag any item.
Plastic grocery bags are NOT recyclable and should be returned to your local grocery store.
PAPER & CARDBOARD (dry) - NO soiled napkins, paper towels or paper plates, coffee cups and hard cover books
- Cardboard (flattened)
- Catalogs
- File folders (no metal)
- Junk mail
- Magazines
- Newspaper and inserts
- Office paper (staples are OK)
- Paperback books (NO hardcover books)
- Telephone books, etc.
- Window envelopes
ALUMINUM & METAL (empty, clean, and dry) - NO scrap metals will be accepted curbside, only accepted at the Recycle Center.
- Aluminum cans
- Aluminum foil (clean)
- Aluminum pie plates (clean)
- Cookie sheets
- Food/tin cans (clean)
- Pet food cans
- Steel cans (clean)
GLASS (empty, clean, and dry)
- Rinsed; all colors; lids, caps
- Bottles
- Jars
PLASTIC (empty, clean, and dry)
- Containers only; empty; rinsed
- Plastics #1-7
- Rigid plastics
- Detergent bottles
- Food containers (no Styrofoam)
- Household cleaning containers (empty)
- Milk jugs
- Salad dressing bottles (rinsed)
- Shampoo and conditioning bottles (rinsed, clean and dry)
Non-recyclables contaminate recycling loads, and need to be removed during the sorting process. Some items may also contaminate clean recyclable items (ex. pasta sauce jar with sauce still in it, can soak into clean office paper which is then no longer recyclable either).
If our drivers notice a lot of contamination in your recycle cart or bin, we may not be able to service it as recycling and may tag it to have it serviced as trash (in which case you may be charged).
See
Electronics (i.e., cell phones, printers, house phones, iPads, computer monitors, hard drives, key boards, fax machines & cameras) may be dropped off at:
Recycle Center
76 Stanley Ave
Watertown, MA 02472
(Green River Way, off Waltham Street)
Friday & Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
617-972-6420
Household Furniture / Burnable Bulk Items – Each week on your regular trash day, 2 large items may be left curbside
per household: Couches, chairs, tables, book cases, mattresses and box springs, dressers. If you have a sectional
couch, you must put out 2 pieces per week. Do not disassemble any furniture. No miscellaneous pieces of wood.
Mattresses - Place mattresses and box springs out on your regular trash day, this is considered a “burnable bulk item.”
White Good stickers must be purchased at Public Works; there is a curbside pickup every Friday. The sticker
must be purchased before Thursday by noon for the Friday pick up. Sticker cost is $20.00 per item (cash,
check or money order, debit cards are not accepted).
White Goods sticker is good for disposal of the following items: stove, refrigerator (remove the door, it’s the law), freezer, air conditioner,
dehumidifier, humidifier, dish washer, washer machine, dryer, hot water heater and microwave.
For more information, please see
Batteries
- Alkaline Batteries - These are your traditional AAA, AA, C, D and 9 volt batteries MAY BE DISPOSED OF IN YOUR REGULAR TRASH.
- Rechargeable Batteries - may be dropped off at the recycle center, Radio Shack or Staples.
- Lithium, button cell batteries, and Nicad batteries are hazardous and may be dropped off at the Department of Public Works, 124 Orchard St., Watertown, recycle center or Atlantic Battery at 309 Main St., Watertown.
See the
The following are considered Household Hazardous Waste. See the
- Oil paint, paint thinners, varnish, stain, and shellac (NO LATEX PAINT is allowed).
- Paint strippers, turpentine, and other paint solvents.
Latex Paint Disposal
Latex paint is not considered a hazardous product and is not accepted at the HHW collection event. In Watertown, fully solidified latex paint may be put in the regular trash toter for curbside collection, liquid form or semi-liquid paint is not accepted. The following disposal options can be used for latex paint:
- If there is a small amount, open the can and let it dry out. The can of solidified paint may be placed in the regular trash toter for curbside collection.
- Place kitty litter or purchase "waste latex paint hardener" Product (available at paint and hardware stores) in the can and then let the paint dry out to a solid form. The can of solidified paint may be placed in the regular trash toter for curbside collection.
- Line a box with newspaper and pour small amounts of paint into the box; let each layer dry before adding another layer. The "painted" box can be put in your regular trash toter for curbside collection.
For proper disposal of hypodermic needles and medical sharps, please contact Health Department at (617)972-6446 for collection information.
Republic Services Sharps Disposal Service
We offer convenient at-home solutions with our
- Detailed instructions for safe sharps disposal
- Postal authorized return box and liner
- Sharps disposal container
- Pre-paid return postage
- Disposal tracking documents
- In 2020, yard waste will be collected on your trash day on the designated yard waste week.
- Yard waste includes: leaves, grass clippings, weeds, twigs and brush; no dirt or rocks.
- Loose brush must be tied into manageable bundles.
- Branches should be bundled in three foot lengths and no more than three inches in diameter.
- Do not use plastic bags – place yard waste in paper bags or loosely in a waste container.
Collection Guidelines & Reporting an Issue
Residents:
- Face toters toward the street with wheels against the curb or gutter the night before or by 6:00 am on your scheduled service day.
- Allow at least 2 feet between toters and 5 feet between toters and other objects
- Make sure lids are securely shut--materials should not extend beyond the container rim. If the toter is too full for the lid to close properly, or the waste is compacted, an extra fee may be charged.
- Do not place hot ashes, dirt, rock, concrete or hazardous items in your toters.
Services
Holiday-related Questions
We observe the following holidays:
New Year's Day
MLK Day
President's Day
Patriots Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Each holiday postpones collection by one day.
