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Wellesley residents line up to shop their neighbors’ cast-offs

November 13, 2020 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

There are a few select spots in town where Wellesley residents are willing to line up for the kind of choice delicacies that delivery services just can’t be trusted to handle. The Cheese Shop on the days before Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Green’s Hardware on a Saturday morning during a pandemic are a couple that come to mind.

Wellesley Reusables Area
The Wellesley Reusables Area is currently the hottest shopping spot in town. As I drove by the area on my way to the compactors on Nov. 12, I wondered if Wasik’s Cheese Shop had set up an outpost here and was taking orders for Camembert.

Add the Reusables Area, at the town’s Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF), to that short but elite list. There are many homes in town in which every room has in some way been “touched by the dump.” A vase in this corner, a side table in the dining room, an area rug—one never knows when the perfect find will present itself, get loaded into the Lex, and given pride of place among the carefully curated interiors of Swellesley homes.

With the area’s limited COVID-driven system that allows drop-off of items and shopping on alternate weeks, along with limited hours for both, the area has become the hottest place in town. When we made our weekly dump run, residents were lined up to shop the tables, patiently waiting behind the Jersey barriers for their turn to be one of 20 at a time allowed to cruise the area in search of treasures.

Wasik's Cheese Shop, Wellesley
Wasik’s Cheese Shop, Wellesley. File photo 2015.

With the shopping part of the equation ending soon (Fri., Nov. 20 is the final drop-off day; Fri. Nov. 27 is the final shopping day), the Reusable Area’s precious resources are becoming scarce, indeed. Who knew the basic principles of economics would come to reveal themselves so dramatically at the dump?


Wellesley RDF hours

Keep in mind that the Reusables Area’s schedule has no bearing on the rest of the RDF’s doings. You can drop off your recycling, trash, yard waste, and more at these times:

Mon. – Wed.: 7am – noon
Thur., Fri., Sat.: 7am – 3:45pm
Sun., (July 12 – November 29, 2020): 10am – 3pm


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Filed Under: Animals, COVID-19, Dump, Shopping

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Wellesley dump’s Reusables Area to reopen

October 19, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley RDF reusables
Wellesley Reusables Area

Good news: the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility‘s Reusables Area will reopen Wed., Oct, 21, 8am – noon, for drop-off only.

Better news: starting Wed., Oct. 28, 8am – noon, the Reusables Area will reopen for “shopping.”

These are COVID times, so there are a lot of rules. Here’s the lowdown:

Step 1: Reusables Area’s hours:

The Reusables Area will be open three three days per week:
Wednesday: 8am – noon
Thursday: 8am – 3:45pm
Friday: 8am – 3:45pm

Step 2: Drop-off only at first

To start, the Reusables Area will be open only for dropping off items:
Wed., 10/21, 8am – noon
Thur., 10/22, 8am – 3:45pm
Fri., 10/23, 8am – 3:45pm
There will be no shopping (also referred to as “pick-up”) on these days.

Step 3: “Shopping” begins

Next, the Reusables Area will be open only for shopping:
Wed., 10/28, 8am – noon
Thur., 10/29, 8am – 3:45pm
Fri., 10/30, 8am – 3:45pm
There will be no drop-off on these days.

Step 4: Rotation system

Dropping off and picking up of items will be rotated each week. You can see the weekly schedule under the READ MORE tag of this post.

Step 5: Know the rules

  • The Reusables Area will be closed to residents on Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
  • A limit of 20 residents will be allowed at any time. This rule will be strictly enforced by the RDF.
  • Residents and volunteers must wear masks at all times.
  • One entrance and exit into the site will be allowed: RDF will monitor all activity.
  • Limited parking will be available.
  • A new shortened 10-minute per day shopping rule will be strictly enforced by the RDF. The area is not meant for socializing,
  • Acceptance of large items will be limited and the decision to accept/reject large items will be made by the volunteer captain on duty.
  • The drive thru ‘drop-off’ zone will be available for dropping off items only—no browsing allowed while parked in the drop-off zone
  • The area will likely stay open until the end of Nov./early Dec., depending on the weather.

Volunteers needed

Please contact the RDF office if you are interested in volunteering with the Wellesley Friends of Recycling: 781-235-7600 x3345.

We hear the group’s annual Yankee Swap and potluck is a great time.

Despite the rules and regs, we’re feeling joyful

Those dark corners of our garage and basement have been filling up with stuff we don’t need anymore but that is too good to throw away. Back in pre-pandemic times, that is to say 2019, we would simply bring that old side table or cast-off area rug to the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility’s Reusables Area. It was easy, there was no planning required, and we didn’t have to fuss around on Facebook and arrange a meeting with a stranger to unload our old stuff.

The Reusables Area closed for the winter last December, so our stuff has been piling up for close to a year. Now we can finally get rid of it all. And maybe pick up one or two things that catch our eye during shopping week. We admit it, there’s not a room in our house that hasn’t been “touched by the dump”. Here are a couple gems we picked up awhile back:

Wellesley RDF
This rectangular dish is perfect for keeping the TV remotes corralled. Mrs. Swellesley once used the stone heart as a coaster for her mug of hot tea while she stared into her closet, mulling over what to wear for the day. Back when sartorial decisions seemed to matter. Note ancient red zip-up sweatshirt in corner of the shot. It’s on pretty heavy rotation these days.

Wellesley RDF hours

Keep in mind that the Reusables Area’s schedule has no bearing on the rest of the RDF’s doings. You can drop off your recycling, trash, yard waste, and more at these times:

Mon. – Wed.: 7am – noon
Thur., Fri., Sat.: 7am – 3:45pm
Sun., (July 12 – November 29, 2020): 10am – 3pm

Here’s the Reusables Area’s weekly schedule:

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Dump, Shopping

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Phil the Wellesley philodendron: an update

September 19, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Thanks to all for your comments and concerns about Phil the Philodendron, the once sad little rescue houseplant with an indomitable will to live. I wrote last month about the big lug and how after a few short years he’s grown into a handsome specimen with confidence and swagger to spare.

We just moved him upstairs after his summer spa vacation on the front steps of our house. Fall is coming, and Phil is cold-sensitive. Uncle Jerry from Dorchester, gardener extraordinaire says so, and when Uncle Jerry says get that plant inside, I don’t argue.

Here are his new digs. Please wish Phil well as he readjusts to life on the inside.

Phil the Wellesley Philodendron
Phil the Wellesley Philodendron enjoys a sunny corner. Linen panels and braided rug from the RDF Reusables Area, as was Phil himself.

Here’s Phil on his yearly front-step spa vacation:

Wellesley philodendron


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Wellesley gets rid of its unsavory elements

September 14, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

It was Hazardous Materials Day in Wellesley over the weekend, one of the town’s most-loved holidays. Tradition tells us that Haz Mat Day is a joyful time when residents all over town peer into the deep corners of their basements, garages, and sheds and finally get rid of all the sketchy chemical stuff that somehow ended up there.

We chose to gift the RDF with two gigantic plastic jugs of antifreeze and a couple of cans of malthion, a powerful bug killer that we reasoned could do the same to us. The malthion was an inheritance of sorts, the kind of bequest we seem to attract rather than, say, lots and lots of money. It was passed down to us from a relative whose shed we were tasked with cleaning out. From there the ancestral malthion lived in our shed for over a year until we finally felt ready to part with our share of the estate.

Here a few pics from the big day.

Wellesley RDF, Hazardous Materials Day
I joined the queue that snaked around behind the RDF office. One of the most exciting parts of Haz Mat Day is the opportunity to visit that little-known back-of-beyond part of the dump.
Wellesley RDF, Hazardous Materials Day
ACV Enviro was on hand to help organize and run the collection event, and manage the disposal.
Wellesley RDF, Hazardous Materials Day
A town vehicle with hazardous materials waiting to be sorted.
Wellesley RDF, Hazardous Materials Day
“That’s it, ma’m? Just this little box of things?” a crew member asked when I rolled up to the collection spot. Seriously, you should have seen the boxes and boxes of lord knows what that came out of the minivan in front of me. I left feeling like I was running a very tight ship, indeed, at my home. All our really, really hazardous materials have now been officially banished from each and every dark and shadowy corner. We’ve still got plenty of maybe-sorta hazardous materials that are in regular use, I’m afraid. But that’s another story.

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Hazardous household waste collection and document shredding at Wellesley RDF

September 9, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

RDF, WellesleyThe Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF) is offering Hazardous Household Waste Collection and Document Shredding on Sunday, September 13,  9am – 3pm.

Due to the pandemic, new procedures are in place for these events to ensure safety. These include specific requirements for masks or face coverings, and placement and removal of items to be disposed.

Read the complete procedures for Hazardous Household Waste and for Document Shredding.

Accepted hazardous items:

  • Acids
  • Aerosol Cans
  • Air Conditioning Refrigerants
  • Ammonia & Bowl Cleaners
  • Antifreeze
  • Automotive Fluids
  • Bleach
  • Brush Cleaners
  • Bug Killers
  • Chemistry Kits
  • Degreasers
  • Disinfectants
  • Drain Cleaners
  • Fertilizers
  • Flammables
  • Herbicides
  • Hobby Chemicals
  • Household Adhesives
  • Household Cleaners
  • Household Solvents
  • Lead-based Paints
  • Needles and Syringes*
  • Over the Counter Medicines
  • Oven Cleaners
  • Paint Thinner
  • Pesticides
  • Photography Chemicals
  • Polishes & Wood Preservatives
  • Rodent Killers
  • Sharps
  • Solvent-based Paints
  • Swimming Pool Chemicals
  • Unused Fire Starters
  • Waxes
  • Weed Killers

Unaccepted hazardous items:

    • Alkaline Batteries
    • Ammunition*
    • Biological or Infections Materials
    • Commercial Hazardous Waste
    • Controlled Substances (Drugs)
    • Dioxin-contaminated Pesticides
    • Empty Containers
    • Explosives*
    • Fireworks*
    • Gas Cylinders
    • Medical Waste
    • PCBs
    • Pharmaceuticals & Prescription Medicines**
    • Pressure-sensitive Materials
    • Radioactives*
    • Smoke Detectors
    • Spot Removers
    • Unidentifiable Wastes

Regular Wellesley RDF hours:

Mon. – Wed.: 7am – noon
Thur., Fri., Sat.: 7am – 3:45pm
Sun: 10am – 3pm


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How to safely dispose of your old paint at the Wellesley Recyling and Disposal Facility

August 29, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Safely dispose of your used paint at the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility‘s  (RDF) paint drop-off area on Thur., Sept. 3, 3pm – 6pm.

The following materials are accepted: interior and exterior latex paint, interior and exterior oil-based alkyd paint, and solidified paint.

Materials that are not accepted are: creosote and turpentine, other solvents, and unmarked containers. These materials may be brought to the RDF on Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, which is Sun., September 13, 9am – 3pm

There will be one more paint drop-off day this year in October, and then paint recycling will resume in spring 2021.

Paint is available for the taking from the shed during regular RDF hours except 3pm – 6pm on scheduled paint drop-off days.

Other methods of paint disposal

Empty cans of paint can be disposed of in the regular household trash.  The empty metal cans cannot be recycled due to the high level of paint contamination.  If a gallon of paint is less than 3/4 full, dry the paint out by mixing it with kitty litter.  Once it is dry, dispose of it with the regular household trash.

Wellesley RDF hours:

Mon. – Wed.: 7am – noon
Thur., Fri., Sat.: 7am – 3:45pm
Sun: 10am – 3pm

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Mrs. Swellesley’s Wellesley philodendron thrives

August 22, 2020 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

Every year around Memorial Day I lug my tree philodendron from its sunny corner indoors to its summer spa location outside my front door. There, the huge houseplant enjoys a three-month revel of fresh air, sunlight, daily watering, and the attention of passers-by.

Wellesley philodendron
Phil the philodendron looking very handsome, indeed. I tucked a few impatiens into a corner of his pot, just so he could have a little summer fling. The inevitable break-up is scheduled for the end of August. Impatiens don’t do well indoors, and Phil can’t stay outside indefinitely. That’s the way it goes with these opposites-attract summertime things.

Phil looks fabulous now, but only a few short years ago he was the saddest thing you ever did see. A rescue plant, I scooped him up from a Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility Reusables table where he had been left for practically dead. Poor Phil had been abandoned by someone who was at least kind enough to keep him out of the trash compactor. He was a pathetic sight, indeed, living in squalor in a cracked plastic pot with no drainage holes. The whole of Phil was made up of just four ratty leaves and a hangdog posture, yet he possessed a tenacious will to live. In fact, with just a little care Phil has thrived and is now my most indispensable house plant.

Wellesley philodendron

Unlike some plants that complain when you move them from outside to inside and vice versa, Phil lives happily wherever he lands. Weekly watering when inside (daily when outside), a corner that gets plenty of bright, indirect sunlight, and he’s good to go. And after his monthly treat of fertilizer he generally goes gangbusters, sending up at least one new leaf shoot when indoors, and upping that to several new leaf shoots per month when outdoors. I just mix one tablespoon of Miracle Grow into one gallon of water, decant that mixture into a wine bottle (the gallon milk container is so unwieldy when watering plants) and do the usual watering. That’s about a quarter of a wine bottle of fertilizer/water mix when Phil is inside, and about a half bottle when he’s outside and living it up a bit because, well, summer. Any more than that and Phil gets tipsy, so I’m sure not to let this monthly happy hour get out of hand. As for straight water, he gets as much of that as he wants. Translation: about 1/4 of a wine bottle of water 1x/week when inside, and about 1/2 wine bottle of water per day when outside.

Wellesley philodendron
Phil is ready for his close-up.

Over the years I’ve repotted Phil a couple of times, most recently last May into his current handsome bullet pot sourced from Home Depot. Phil and I dig the pot’s mid-century modern lines and appreciate the way it harmonizes with our 150-year old cottage. Also, I feel very smug when I wander the pricey garden stores and see a pot just like Phil’s for triple what good old Home Depot thought was fair.

Wellesley philodendron
This green shoot will unfurl into a shiny green leaf in another week or so.

Hard to believe, but in just a few weeks it will be Labor Day and thus time to move Phil inside until next spring. Even though he’s not the fussy type, everyone deserves to be eased gently out of summer. For a couple of weeks I bring him onto the front porch, an uninsulated and cheerful room filled with birds nests, board games, and disreputable running shoes. Part mudroom, part pandemic office space, the porch is a pretty good spot for a big old houseplant to get used to the idea of change. After that Phil will probably decamp to the main bedroom, like last year. Or maybe he’ll be open to giving the family room a try this year. We’ll see.

For now, Phil and I will hold onto this good summer living. Me, watering Phil from a wine bottle, causing neighborhood talk. Phil, throwing green shoots up into the air like he just doesn’t care. Both of us living life without an abundance of caution, here at the little cottage that has enough room for a big plant.

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