Town Of Wakefield: $20 Bulk-Item Fee Begins July 5

Press release from the Town of Wakefield:

June 16, 2021 - 12:34pm

When the refuse budget for fiscal year 2021 was presented to the Town Council, numerous scenarios were discussed, one of which incorporated a $20 per-item fee for large, bulky items that cannot fit in a blue refuse container. Such items include couches, chairs, mattresses, and tables. In May, residents at Town Meeting approved this budget. Beginning July 5, 2021, residents will be required to purchase a sticker for disposal of these bulky items.

Stickers can be obtained at Town Hall and Hart’s Hardware (442 Main St.) and should be affixed to the item in a visible location. Residents do not need to schedule pickup in advance, but are limited to two items per week. If you have questions about this program, connect with our Department of Public Works at (781) 246-6301.

Residents should first consider recycling or donating these large items before putting them out for trash collection. Check out the Massachusetts directory of how to donate, recycle, and repurpose instead of throwing away. There are also many social media groups dedicated to repurposing and recycling. You'll keep the item out of a landfill and your donation may even be tax deductible. 

Bulky items that require a sticker include, but are not limited to:

Artificial tree

Bed frame

Bicycle

Bookshelf

Box spring

Bureau/Dresser

Cabinet

Chair/recliner

Child's plastic slide

Child's ride-on toy (no batteries)

Commode

Crib

Couch/loveseat

Desk

Door

Entertainment center

Exercise bike

Grill

Ladder

Mattress

Nightstand

Ottoman

Patio furniture

Pallet

Patio umbrella

Pool cover

Pool filter

Rug (area)

Sectional sofa*

Sink

Table

Toilet

Treadmill

Vanity

Wall-to-wall carpet**

Wheel barrow

Window

Wood bundle

*Sectionals that are two-to-four pieces require two stickers; those that are five-to-eight pieces require three stickers.

**Wall-to-wall or large-scale carpeting should be cut no taller than 48 inches, rolled, and tied. Each bulk-item sticker is valid for three rolls of carpet.  

Construction materials, including sheet rock, roofing tiles, insulation, ceramic, granite, and concrete, are not permitted in curbside trash collection and similarly not eligible for bulk-item pickup.

This press release was produced by the Town of Wakefield.The views expressed here are the author’s own.