Changes to Curbside Trash and Recycling Collection Begins Next Week

Beginning on Monday, Salem residents will be able to use those shiny new trash and recycling totes that have been delivered over the past month.

Salem will begin automated trash and recycling collection curbside throughout the City starting this Monday, Nov. 2. Starting November 2nd, all curbside trash and recycling must be placed in the lidded, wheeled carts delivered by Waste Management to all households in Salem. Cart lids must be closed in order to be collected. This will help minimize wind-blown trash and litter on Salem streets and sidewalks.

Starting Nov. 2, any items left outside of a cart, with the exception of the orange city-approved trash overflow bags, will not be collected. For collection of bulky items, please call Waste Management at 800-972-4545 to schedule an appointment for pick-up at least 24 hours in advance of the intended collection. The Waste Management customer service line is open from7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Also starting Nov. 2, recycling collection will move to an every-other-week schedule. To identify your recycling week, look at the lid of your blue recycling cart and compare the color, either blue or green, to the color-coded weekly calendar provided in the mailing from Waste Management and available online at http://www.salem.com/recycling-and-trash/files/2015-2016-curbside-collection-calendar. The week of November 2nd is a “blue” week, the week of November 9th is a “green” week, and the weeks alternate in that order from there.

In addition, there will be some changes to collection days for around 2,600 households at the same time. These changes have been made by Waste Management, the City’s curbside collection contractor, in order to ensure the most efficient routes and schedules for collection. All changes are effective November 2nd. The map of collection days effective November 2nd is available online at http://www.salem.com/gis-and-maps/files/trash-collection-day-map.

For more information about the changes to curbside trash and recycling collection in Salem, including an informational video, FAQ, and more, please visit http://www.salem.com/recycling-and-trash.