Our roundup of recent environmental news in Wellesley:

MassBay installs vehicle charging stations

MassBay Community College has installed three electric vehicle charging stations thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

Two of the three charging stations are located in the faculty and staff parking lots near MassBay’s Wellesley Hills campus building. The third is in the lower student parking lot off Oakland Street and is accessible to the general public. These stations charge six vehicles and are free to use.

wellesley-ev-charging-station — Photo courtesy of MassBay

RDF releases an app

rdf app

Wellesley’s Recycling & Disposal Facility has released a smartphone app to put a variety of recycling-related information at your fingertips. You can also access the tool from your computer.

The app helps explain what you can recycle, hours for the RDF and special events like paint collection, and offers a way to apply for permits, volunteer, and more online.

Electric vehicle test drive event set for May 12

(Update 5/6/22: Test driving slots have filled up, but you’re still welcome to check out the vehicles and talk EVs with the owners.)

The Town of Wellesley and Sustainable Wellesley are teaming up to give residents the opportunity to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle (EV) at a test drive event slated for Thursday, May 12 from 4-7pm in the overflow parking lot at MassBay Community College at 50 Oakland St. in Wellesley. Pre–registration and a valid driver’s license are required.

Several makes and models at a range of price points will be available for test drives. EVs or hybrid vehicles from Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo are expected to be available. Wellesley owners of these or similar EVs will be available to answer questions about their experiences owning and driving an EV.

EVs accelerate quickly, are quiet, and can save on fuel costs.

Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend — Electric & hybrid vehicle show-and-tell during Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend in the fall

Earth Day spreading out in Natick this spring

Organizers of Natick’s Earth Day celebration this spring have reimagined it as a truly town-wide event rather than one centered on the Common like in springs past. It also takes place this coming weekend, not on actual Earth Day (April 22).

Learn more about the events taking place on April 30 & May 1.

MLP on the rise in use of non-emitting energy sources

According to the latest numbers from the Mass Climate Action Network, Wellesley’s Municipal Light Plant (MLP) had the biggest improvement between 2019 and 2020 among the state’s MLPs in increasing its use of non-emitting energy sources, such as wind, hydropower, nuclear, and solar. Wellesley’s MLP now ranks third overall behind just Hull and Paxton among the state’s communities with MLPs, according to the group, which supports city and town sustainability groups.