Mid Massachusetts News

The City's next Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day will be held on Saturday, June 10, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., at 65 Waverly Street. Please enter the event via Waverly St at Brookline St. This event is for Cambridge Residents only.

If you have no proof of residency or are property manager bringing more than 25 pounds or 25 gallons from a Cambridge residential building, please email recycle@cambridgema.gov in advance.

Additional 2023 Household Hazardous Waste Collection dates will include Saturday, August 26 at the same time and location, and Saturday, November 4, from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., at 50 Mooney St.  This will be the last date in 2023.

The City’s Department of Public Works (DPW) and Cambridge Police Department will be on site to assist with traffic. For worker safety and hazardous waste containment, only staff should handle hazardous waste. To make sure we can accommodate all residents, please take into consideration these tips:

• For the safety of DPW staff and City contractors, and for the containment of hazardous waste, it is important that staff manage all handling of hazardous waste.
• Residents should NOT exit their vehicle for any reason at any point during the event.
• If you have a pickup truck, staff can collect the waste from the bed of the pickup truck.
• Bins, buckets, boxes, etc. used to hold containers of the hazardous waste will NOT be returned. For example, if you have a bottle of motor oil that you wish to dispose of, don’t place the plastic bottle in a bin you wish to keep; place the bottle directly in the trunk for the contractors to retrieve.
• If you are walking or biking to the event, there will be a station for you to safely drop‐off items. Please ask for assistance from a Cambridge Police officer or DPW employee before entering the site.

Accepted items include:

• Batteries: Vehicle* & Non-Alkaline*
• Car Fluids: Antifreeze, Brake, Engine Degreaser, Transmission
• Car Tires (max four per household)
• Chemicals: Cleaners, Glues, Removers, Photography & Swimming Pool
• Fluorescent Light Bulbs*
• Paints: Oil-Based & Latex
• Poisons: Insecticides, Pesticides & Weed Killers
• Prescription Medicines (accepted year-round at Cambridge Police Dept. 125 Sixth St.)
• Propane Cylinders (20 lbs. or less only)
• Waste Fuels: Antifreeze, Gasoline, Kerosene, Sterno & Motor Oil (motor oil also accepted year-round at DPW)
• Fire Extinguishers

Items not accepted include:

• NO Alkaline Batteries
• NO Ammunition, Fireworks & Explosives (contact Cambridge Fire Dept. at 617-349-3300)
• NO Asbestos (requires proper disposal)
• NO Bleach or Ammonia
• NO Commercial/Industrial Waste
• NO Construction Debris
• NO Empty Aerosol Cans
• NO Compressed Gas Cylinders
• NO Infectious or Biological Waste
• NO Radioactive Waste
• NO Smoke Detectors
• NO Syringes (Contact Cambridge Public Health Department at 617-665-3848)

Cans of latex paint may be dried out and set out for curbside trash collection, with the lids off. Let evaporate outside or add kitty litter to speed drying.

During open hours, the Cambridge Recycling Center located at 147 Hampshire Street, accepts non-alkaline batteries, fluorescent bulbs, mercury items and motor oil.  Hours of operation for the Recycling Center are Tuesday, 4:00-7:30 p.m., Thursday, 4:00-7:30 p.m., and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Learn more at Cambridgema.gov/hazardouswaste.

Original source can be found here.