Bulk Trash Pickup Starts Soon, New Collection Method Begins In January

Press release from Town of Hamden:

HAMDEN, CT — The regular bulk trash pick-up program for Hamden will be in effect Oct. 1 town-wide. Upon the conclusion of the October 2024 bulk trash pick-up program, the town will move toward a new method of collecting residential bulk trash by appointment-only.

The appointment-only bulk trash pick-up program will take effect Jan. 1, 2025. The fall town-wide curbside collection system for bulk trash will remain in place for October 2024 only. There is no need to schedule an appointment for October 2024 bulk trash collection.

Moving forward, residents may receive one (1) free appointment-only bulk trash pick-up between January 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025. Residents may receive two (2) free appointment-only bulk trash pick-ups within each of the subsequent contract years, from July 1 to June 30 of each year, e.g. July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 and so forth.

To receive a bulk-trash pick-up, Hamden residents should make an appointment by contacting All American Waste at 203-503-3782 no later than 1 p.m. on the day prior to your regular trash collection day. Please place your bulk trash at the curb for collection before 6 a.m.

All American Waste will maintain a record of all resident bulk trash pick-up requests and will provide the Town with this information on a weekly basis.

October 2024 Bulk Trash Pick-Up Program:

The bulk trash pick-up program for Hamden will be in effect October 1st.

Hamden residents may put bulk trash curbside in front of their homes anytime between October 1st and October 31st.

***Residents are urged to have bulk at the curb on or before their last regular refuse pick-up day for the month of October.***

Acceptable items will be picked up by Hamden’s trash hauler throughout the entire month of October. No phone calls or appointments are necessary.

Please remember to place bulk trash away from Town-issued trash and recycling carts and do not place any regular refuse with the bulk trash.

Bulk trash must be separated from the ongoing leaf and brush collection. Leaves must go into paper recyclable bags. Brush must be contained in small bundles no longer than four (4) feet in length. If items are not separated, they will not be collected.

Acceptable items (150 pounds or less) are: 1) mattresses and box springs (one mattress and box spring per household); 2) furniture; 3) rugs (must be rolled up and tied like a log; no longer than four feet in length); 4) household appliances (washers, dryers, air conditioners, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, toasters, lamps, microwaves); Note: State Law requires the removal of air-tight doors on refrigerators and other appliances; 5) light and heavy iron goods; and 6) metal items (place at one end of the pile for separate scrap metal pick-up).

Please note the limit of one (1) mattress and one (1) box spring disposal per household. This is a cost-savings measure, implemented due to expenses incurred by disposal. Non-soiled mattresses and box springs may be brought to the Hamden Transfer Station for recycling, if possible. The Town of Hamden participates in the state recycling program, and all parts of the mattress and box spring will get reused, at no cost to the Town.

Unacceptable items are:

• Hazardous waste including oil-based paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, household cleaners, anti-freeze, aerosols, batteries, gasoline, motor oil (contact HazWaste Central at 203-401-2712);
• Remodeling, construction and demolition debris from any structure or part thereof (homeowner must rent a dumpster);
• Plumbing fixtures, sinks and pipes; a single unit or fixture may be accepted at the Hamden Transfer Station;
• Tires (a limit of 4 tires per year may be brought to the Hamden Transfer Station);
• Vehicle parts, lawnmowers and other gas-powered equipment (remove all fluids from engines, dispose of fluids at HazWaste Central and dispose of equipment at a junkyard or metal recycling facility, for more details please contact Joe DeRisi at 203-287-7021 or via email at: jderisi@hamden.com);
• Branches, grass, leaves, tree stumps, rocks, sand, and dirt (contact Public Works at 203-287-2600 for specific guidelines);
• Propane tanks;
• Computers, televisions and other electronics (bring to Hamden Transfer Station for recycling – be sure to remove the hard drive on your computers first); and
• Pool covers (accepted at the Hamden Transfer Station).

The entrance to the Hamden Transfer Station is located at 231 Wintergreen Ave. It is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m., and the 1st Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Reusing items is better than recycling. Here are some helpful hints from our Recycling Coordinator for items you think are reusable:

• List your item(s) on social media for free;
• Habitat for Humanity New Haven County ReStore in Wallingford will accept donations of doors, windows, sinks, lumber, light fixtures, furniture and more: https://habitatgnh.org/restore/;
• Household items can also be donated to the Goodwill Outlet Store located at 2901 State Street in Hamden: https://www.goodwill.org/donors/donate-stuff/;
• Household items can also be donated to the Salvation Army Store located at 1359 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden: https://satruck.org/; and
• Here is a comprehensive list of organizations that take donations: https://housing.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/TheDownsizingDonationGuide.pdf

If you have an item you think is reusable but do not know what to do with it, please contact Recycling Coordinator, Joe DeRisi, at (203) 287-7021 or by email at jderisi@hamden.com.

For further information, please contact the Public Works Department at 203-287-2600.

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