Recycling & Trash
Do I need to separate paper and cardboard from other recyclables?
Yes, you do. Beverly is a dual stream community. Glass, plastic and metal containers can be mixed together, but paper and cardboard must be set out separately from these containers. This is a condition of the City’s contract with JRM. Dual stream recycling results in lower contamination, which makes recycling more cost effective for the City. If you set out your recyclables with paper/cardboard mixed together with plastic, glass and metal containers, JRM has the right to reject your recycling and leave it uncollected at the curb.
Is it true that I can put any plastic item with the “chasing arrows” recycling symbol and the number 1-7 into my curbside recycling bin?
Not exactly. The number indicates the type of plastic and doesn’t mean it can or cannot be recycled curbside. You should ignore the numbers and focus on recycling plastic containers that are clean and dry and that meet the following shape characteristics – bottle, jar, jug or tub. Anything else is considered a contaminant in curbside recycling. You should also make sure the item is larger than a credit card (about three inches). Anything smaller than this, e.g., take-out condiment/sauce cups, are too small to be sorted and captured in the recycling facility and will end up in the residue stream (they fall through the sorting screens).
Some of the common plastic items that do NOT belong in curbside bins but often show up there as contaminants include plastic toys, plastic bags and other types of film plastic, hangers, disposable cutlery, lids/straws to plastic cups, and even diapers. Please do not put these items in your curbside recycling bin. Remember – keep it to containers that are in the shape of a bottle, jar, jug or tub.
My neighbor told me I can’t recycle juice cartons. Is that true? Why can’t juice cartons be recycled with paper and cardboard?
Your neighbor is correct. Juice, milk, soup, wine and other “gable-top” refrigerated cartons or “aseptic” shelf-stable cartons are not recyclable curbside in Beverly or in most other communities in the region. These cartons are made from multiple layers of material (paperboard, plastic, and aluminum) that can be difficult to separate. There are only a few paper mills in the United States that can process these cartons, and none are in the Northeast. Until there are further advances in the industry to allow for effectively sorting the cartons at the recycling facility and separating the layers during down-stream processing, cartons should go in the trash.
I’m confused about pizza boxes. Should they go in the trash, recycling or composting?
The recycling industry is dynamic and ever changing, and pizza boxes are one of the latest changes. In response to an industry study that examined the suitability of pizza boxes for curbside recycling, your pizza box should be recycled curbside with other paper and cardboard. Grease on the box is okay, but please make sure the box is fully emptied; paper and cardboard liners, plastic pizza savers, napkins, utensils, crust, and all other items should be removed. Recycling experts at Mass DEP suggest that you fold the box inside out before you put it in with your recycling, so it is obvious that the box is empty.
Prior to the industry accepting and promoting the recycling of pizza boxes, many people were putting pizza boxes in with their curbside composting. This is acceptable, but only if the box is certified and labeled as compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). BPI certification ensures that the item will effectively break down during the regular composting process, and places restrictions on product chemicals to ensure it will not impact compost quality. If the pizza box is not BPI certified, please put it in your recycling bin and not your curbside composting bin.
Can I put shredded paper in with my recycling?
No, you cannot put shredded paper in with your curbside recycling. The automated sorting systems at recycling facilities are unable to sort and capture the small pieces of paper. The shredded paper ends up with the residue stream or otherwise becomes airborne and sticks to equipment and other recyclables. If you shred at home and do not have an alternative use for the shredded paper, it should go into the trash. An option is to bring your accumulated, unshredded paper to Greif Recycling at 53 Jefferson Ave in Salem. The facility is currently open for no-cost shredding services Monday through Friday from 10 am until 3 pm. Services are walk-in and you can watch your paper being shredded. We recommend you call Greif Recycling (978-744-4330) to confirm operating hours and conditions for drop-off shredding, since practices may change over time.
How can I recycle Styrofoam?
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, commonly called by its trademark name “Styrofoam”, cannot be recycled curbside. Generally, Styrofoam is hard to manage due to its bulky nature. It needs to be melted and densified so it can be cost-effectively shipped for further processing and remanufacturing. Some communities will collect Styrofoam at their DPW facilities or transfer stations, but this is not currently an option in Beverly. Other communities rely on occasional, single-day collection programs in collaboration with a vendor. The Beverly Waste Reduction Committee co-hosted a collection event with the City of Salem in January 2022, and is exploring opportunities for future events.
Another recycling option is to bring Styrofoam to a drop-off location. Although we are not aware of local drop-off locations, a distant option includes Gold Circuit E-Cycling in Palmer, MA (https://www.goldcircuit.io/). We recommend you check with this company before bringing Styrofoam for recycling, as their ability to take materials may change along with other conditions such as cost and type of materials accepted.
If you choose to save your Styrofoam for a collection event or for drop-off, you should know that most of the time only rigid, white Styrofoam will be accepted. Other types of foam, including packing peanuts, meat trays, cups/take-out containers, and colored Styrofoam are commonly not accepted.
Are there any options to recycle old clothing and other textiles?
Please consider donating clothing that is in good, wearable condition, particularly if in season, to local thrift stores or consignment shops. Is this not an option for you? Perhaps your clothing is not suitable for donation – it may be ripped, stained, missing a zipper, or worn/damaged beyond reasonable use. Or maybe you have a pile of mis-matched socks or other assorted linens that seem to be of no use. As long as the items are clean and dry, textiles not otherwise suitable for reuse can be recycled into cleaning rags or broken down into fibers and made into new materials.
The Beverly Public Schools PTOs participate in the School Box Program managed by Bay State Textiles. Textile collection bins are located in the parking lot of every Beverly Public School. Items that are accepted including clothing, footwear, accessories (e.g., hats, belts, duffle bags, purses), and linens. The bins are accessible 24/7, and the PTOs earn a rebate on all items collected. Please make sure to bag all items, and donate only clean and dry materials. Also, please do not leave any items outside the bins. The collection bins are a shared resource for textiles only, and not a location to donate, recycle or dispose other items.
In addition to the PTO textile recycling program, there are other collection bins in miscellaneous locations throughout the City and some non-profit organizations offer donation pickup services. If you are a subscriber to the Black Earth curbside composting program, textile collection services are available from Black Earth as a supplemental service.
What happens to the trash and recycling that is picked up in Beverly?
The City of Beverly has a municipal contract with JRM Hauling & Recycling for residential curbside recycling and trash collection. The contract does not specify designated facilities for the processing of recyclables or the disposal of trash. Upon collection at the curb, all materials become the property of JRM, which has the right to deliver the materials to facilities of their choice. However, the contract specifies that JRM shall guarantee that none of the solid waste collected from the City will be disposed in landfills. With this guarantee, it is expected that City trash is delivered to one of the seven waste-to-energy facilities in Massachusetts. These facilities burn waste and generate renewable electricity. City recycling collected by JRM can be delivered to any permitted recycling facility, a broker, or an end user. JRM is prohibited from disposing (as trash) any acceptable recyclables collected under the Contract. JRM owns and operates the GreenWorks materials recycling facility (MRF) in Peabody, MA. City recyclables are primarily delivered to this MRF, where the materials are sorted and delivered to secondary materials markets.
I have a couch that I need to dispose. Can I put it out with my trash?
Yes, in Beverly you are allowed to put one bulk item out with your trash each week. A bulk item is one oversized item, such as a bicycle, grill, lawnmower, microwave, mattress, couch, chair, table or other piece of furniture that will not fit in your trash barrel. Construction/demolition waste is not allowable as a bulk item. Also, large appliances and TVs/monitors are handled separately. Appliances/TVs are picked up on the third Saturday of each month by appointment only. Residents must call JRM directly at 978-536-2500 before 10:00 am the Friday before the collection date to schedule an appointment, and may be subject to a collection fee.
I’m moving, and doing a lot of cleanout. Is it okay for me to put extra items out for collection this one time?
There is a two-barrel limit for trash at all times, with no exceptions for household events or cleanouts that generate large amounts of trash. City of Beverly blue overflow bags, which can be purchased from several local retailers, are an option to help with some of your excess trash. You can use one official Beverly overflow bag per week to supplement two, 32-gallon trash barrels. For large cleanouts, please consider donating what you can and then make use of private pickup services. Although there are many options, an example is a “Junkster” bag that can be purchased at local hardware stores.
I cleaned out my garage and need to dispose of used motor oil, old paint and batteries. What are my options?
Used motor oil is accepted at the DPW municipal garage located at 148 Park Street, during their regular working hours (Monday through Friday from 7:30 am until 3:30 pm). For more information, please call 978-921-6053.
If your paint is a water-based, latex paint, it can be disposed with regular trash as long as it is completely dried out. If there’s a small amount of paint in the can, pop the top open and let it dry in the can. Once it’s dry, leave the top off and put the can in the trash. For larger amounts of latex paint, try mixing in kitty litter or use other commercially available products to harden the paint before disposal. If you have surplus, oil-based paint it should be saved for a household hazardous waste (HHW) collection event.
Single-use, alkaline batteries used for many household applications (AAA, AA, C, D and 9-volt) can be disposed with regular trash. All other types of batteries, including rechargeable and button batteries, contain metals that pose risks to human health and the environment and are not safe to be disposed with regular trash. Please save non-alkaline batteries for an HHW collection event.
Beverly typically holds one HHW collection event every spring at Beverly High School, usually in April. In addition, Beverly residents are allowed to participate in the Salem HHW event every fall. For more information, please call the City’s Engineering Department at 978-605-2355 or visit the City’s website at: https://www.beverlyma.gov/208/Trash-Recycling.