Recycling and Solid Waste

Sustainable Waste Management and Recycling

SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING PROGRAM

The Town of Holliston’s Solid Waste and Recycling Program is detailed below.  The Program is designed to provide opportunities to residents for recycling and waste reduction.  If you have any questions about the Program or any suggestions, please contact E.L. Harvey at 800-321-3002 or 508-429-0608.

AUTOMATED CURBSIDE HOUSEHOLD TRASH COLLECTION AND PAY-AS-YOU-THROW

Household rubbish, trash and garbage can be placed in Town issued standard 35-gallon wheeled cart and placed at the curb by 7 a.m. each week on your collection day (see separate street pick up schedule).  Carts should face the street (handle and wheels away from street) with at least 3 feet between carts.

Each cart has a forty (40) pound limit.  Carts and bags containing food garbage can be sprayed with household ammonia to deter pests.  The first standard 35-gallon cart of trash each week does not require a sticker. Additional bags of trash each require a $2.00 trash sticker. 

Trash stickers are available at Town Hall (703 Washington Street), Rt. 16 Convenience (1566 Washington St.), Country Farms (429 Washington Street), Holliston True Value Hardware (58 Central Street), Holliston Superette (777 Washington Street) Central Cafe (92 Central Street).  Senior citizens (65 years old or older, owner and occupant) can obtain up to six (6) free stickers per year at Town Hall.

Latex or water based paints can be allowed to harden by leaving them open to the air and then placed in the trash.

In the case of a lost or damaged carts, please contact E.L. Harvey at 800-321-3002. Note, the cost to replace a cart will be at the expense of the property owner.

AUTOMATED CURBSIDE COLLECTION OF RECYCLABLE MATERIALS

Standard 65-gallon Town issued recycling carts will be collected each week on the same day as trash collection (see collection schedule and routes). Carts should face the street (handle and wheels away from street) with at least 3 feet between carts.

In the case of a lost or damaged cart, please contact  E.L. Harvey at 800-321-3002. Please note the cost to replace a cart will be at the expense of the property owner.

In terms of what to recycle, the RecycleSmartMA program was created by the Massachusetts DEP to provide residents with up to date information about how to generate clean recyclables.  Please follow the directions below about what to, and what not to, recycle.

Recycle Smart

Recycle Smart - Portuguese

If you aren’t sure about whether an item can be recycled, please click on the Smart Recycling Guide here and enter the item in the “Recyclopedia: Can I Recycle It?” widget located at the top of the page. Please help the Town realize a goal of generating 1,600 tons of clean recyclables in 2023.  Thank you for helping the Town promote sustainable living by generating clean recyclables and reducing disposal costs.

Also tune into Mass Recycle 2019 Podcasts airing here:

CURBSIDE COLLECTION OF BULKY WASTE

Rugs can be cut into three foot lengths, bundled and placed at the curb on your collection day.  This item requires a $2 dollar trash sticker (per bundle).

Other bulky items such as furniture, appliances, doors, water heaters and tires are picked up by calling Harvey at 800-321-3002 to schedule a collection day.  Four (4) tires per year (without rims) but no more than one (1) tire per week may be placed at the curb for collection after calling E.L. Harvey at 800-321-3002.

The following materials will not be collected as curbside trash: televisions, monitors, building materials, mattresses, box springs, construction waste, textiles, earth, stones and tree stumps – Televisions and Monitors can be brought to the Marshall Street recycling center with a $20 sticker. Stickers can be purchased at the Treasurer's Office at Town Hall and some locations that sell curbside trash stickers. $20 Electronic Stickers are not available for purchase at the Recycling Center. Building materials and other construction waste must be separately disposed of by making arrangements with your contractor or a private trash disposal company.

As of November 1, 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection began requiring mattresses and box springs be recycled. If you are purchasing a new mattress, the easiest thing is to have the company take back your old mattress. You can also make arrangements with E.L. Harvey at 800 321-3002 or a private recycling vendor.

 

Marshall Street Drop-Off Recycling Area

A Recycling sticker is now required to access the Marshall Street drop-off recycling area. A sticker can be obtained at the Treasurer s Office at Town Hall or onsite. A driver’s license and registration with a Holliston address is required.

Hours of Operations: Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The facility is open to Holliston residents only and the following items are accepted:

The Marshall Street Recycling Area accepts:

  • Leaf and yard waste
  • Metals
  • Cardboard
  • Fluorescent light bulbs
  • Electronic Waste, note an additional $20 sticker is required for televisions, monitors, exercise equipment and ride on mowers.  Stickers can be purchased at the Treasurer's Office at Town Hall and some locations that sell curbside trash stickers.  $20 Electronic Stickers are not available for purchase at the Recycling Center
  • Textiles (see below for accepted items)

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day Collections

Drop off HHW at the Holliston Collection Day will be held SATURDAY July 22, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon at the Robert Adams Middle School 323 Woodland Street. Please consult the attached list on what types of materials can be collected. Note Holliston is part of a consortium and residents are eligible to attend other events listed below. If you would like to go to another town, please go to the Selectman’s office to get a voucher to attend.

Medfield  
April 27, 2024    
9am - 1pm

Walpole              
May 4, 2024
9am - 12pm

Ashland              
May 11, 2024          
9am - 1pm

Bellingham         
July 27, 2024    
9am - 1pm

Holliston           
August 3, 2024            
8am - noon 

Norfolk                
April 1st through September 30th
Wednesday only 11:30:AM - 6:00pm
 

Sherborn            
October 18, 2024
9am - 12pm

Franklin
April - November 
Tuesday only 12pm - 3pm
Friday - Saturday 8am - 3pm
Sunday 9am - 1pm

 

Home Composting to divert leaf and food waste

Home composting bins are for sale at a reduced rate of $22 at the Town Hall. See a demonstration compost bin at the Holliston Community Farm.

Textile Recovery

Textiles including clothing, shoes, or other textiles (linens, socks, fabric) that you no longer wear or use can be recycled. Don’t throw them away!

Collection Bins are available around the clock and conveniently located in the parking lots at the Senior Center (150 Goulding St.) and the upper parking lot of 1750 Washington Street. Textiles can also be brought to the Recycle Center on Marshall Street on Saturdays.

ACCEPTABLE ITEMS – All sizes; must be CLEAN & DRY               

  • Clothing: pants, jeans, sweatpants, tops, tank tops, t-shirts, dresses, blazers, sweaters, sweatshirts, skirts, shorts, socks, pajamas, coats, bathrobes
  • Linens: sheets, blankets, pillowcases, towels, cloth placemats, draperies, curtains, table linens
  • Footwear, etc.: shoes, sneakers, heels, pumps, cleats, boots, work boots, winter boots, slippers, flip flops, sandals, hats, gloves, scarfs, pocket books, totes, ties, belts
  • Unusable fabric is accepted

UN-ACCEPTABLE ITEMS

  • Carpets, mattress pads, cushions, couch cushions, foam products, undergarments

For more information about textile recovery, check out https://www.mass.gov/guides/massdep-textile-recovery

 

OTHER RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES

  • Plastic grocery bags, plastic newspaper bags and other clear or light-colored plastic bags can be recycled at grocery stores. Click here for details on all types of film plastic acceptable through store drop-off.
  • Clothing items can be brought to the American Red Cross box in front of 269 Central Street (Water Foundry) or the Saint Vincent DePaul bin behind Saint Mary's Church.
  • Motor oil can be recycled at the place of purchase.
  • Mercury thermometers and thermostats can be exchanged for digital thermometers at Town Hall, Selectmen’s Office, 703 Washington Street.
  • Composting kits are available for purchase through the Selectmen’s Office at Town Hall for $22.
  • Plastic plant pots and flat trays can be recycled in bins at Weston Nurseries, 91 East Main Street, Hopkinton. Rechargeable batteries (cell phones, cameras, power tools) are accepted at Holliston True Value Hardware at 58 Central Street. Other batteries can be recycled at Home Depot, Lowes or Best Buy.
  • Wire hangers can be taken to dry cleaning establishments.
  • Books are accepted at a collection containers located in the Holliston High School parking lot.
  • CDs and DVDs are accepted at a collection container in the Holliston High School parking lot.
  • Also, use the MassDEP-supported Beyond the Bin Recycling Directory to search by type of material and location to find out where in Massachusetts to recycle, reuse, or re-purpose items that don’t belong in your household recycling cart.

Holliston by the numbers  - 5 year history

 

 20172022% Change
# of Households Served4,5304,8728%
Tons of Solid Waste3,5783,364(6%)
Tons of Recyclables1,6151,606(1%)
Total Tons Generated5,1934,970(4%)
% of Waste Recycled31%32%1%

HOLIDAYS

Whenever a scheduled collection day falls on a holiday, that day's collection and all remaining collections for the week will be delayed one day.  Friday's collection will be on Saturday.  Holidays observed are: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day, Patriot's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

CURBSIDE COLLECTION PROBLEMS

To report that your trash or recycling has not been picked up or to report other problems with the curbside service, call Harvey Customer Service at 800-321-3002.