Solid Waste

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Appliances that use electricity, oil, natural gas, or liquefied petroleum gas.
• White goods, which include:
  • Clothes washers and dryers.
  • Dishwashers.
  • Hot water heaters.
  • Ovens and ranges.
  • Refrigerators and freezers.

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Fluorescent light bulbs (dispose of these bulbs as universal waste).
• Lead-acid batteries used in motor vehicles or stationary applications.

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Asphalt pavement, brick, and concrete from construction and demolition of buildings, roads, bridges, and similar sources.

Facilities that generate more than 0.5 tons of compostable organic waste a week need a composting program. Each Harvard campus is considered a separate facility.

This includes food items from kitchen waste and non-consumed portions of meals.

Segregate food waste from trash and recycling and manage it as compostable waste.

Exceptions:

• Animal bedding.

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Glass bottles and jars.
• Intact, broken, or processed cathode ray tubes or glass tubes for visual displays in TVs, computer monitors, or certain scientific instruments.

Exceptions:

• Ceramics.
• Drinking glasses and Pyrex cookware.
• Plate glass.
• Windows.
• Windshields.

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Leaves, grass clippings, weeds, garden materials, shrub trimmings, and brush that is 1 in or less in diameter.

Exceptions:

• Diseased plants.

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Aluminum, steel, or bi-metal food or beverage containers.
• Ferrous and non-ferrous metals from used appliances, building materials, industrial equipment, manufacturing processes, or vehicles.

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Clean wood waste, including trees, stumps, brush, sawdust, chips, shavings, and bark.
• Recyclable paper, cardboard, and paperboard products.
• Treated and untreated wood.

Exceptions:

• Low-grade paper products.
• Paper plates and cups.
• Tissue paper.
• Toweling.
• Wax-coated cardboard.
• Wood furniture.

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Plastic bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs.

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Clothing, footwear, bedding, towels, curtains, fabric, and similar items.
• Any resilient material or combination of materials used alone or with other products that meet these criteria:
  • Enclosed by ticking.
  • Intended for sleeping upon.

This includes foundations and box springs.

Exceptions:

• Air mattresses or waterbeds that do not contain upholstery material between the ticking and the mattress core.
• Items contaminated with mold, bodily fluids, insects, oil, or hazardous substances.
• Mattress pads or toppers, baskets, car beds, carriages, crib bumpers, dressing tables, infant carriers, lounge pads, pillows, playpens, sleeping bags, or strollers.
• Mattresses contaminated with bodily fluids, hazardous substances, mold, insects, or oil.
• Mattresses in futons or sofa beds.

You cannot dispose of these materials at solid waste facilities in Massachusetts:

• Whole motor vehicle tires of all types.

Exceptions:

• Shredded tires (tires cut, sliced, or ground into at least four pieces so the tire is not circular).