Take a guided Wellesley RDF tour

October 14, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The public is invited to take a guided tour of the Wellesley Recycling & Disposal Facility (RDF) at 169 Great Plain Ave., on Oct. 17 at 4pm. All ages are welcome.

The Wellesley RDF isn’t just a dump and recycling center, but generates revenue for the town (over $741,000 in fiscal year 2021). Learn about the source-separated model supported at the RDF, as well as the food waste program that diverts content from landfill for conversion into energy and more.

RSVP form

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley sustainability roundup: school supplies swap; getting to school; climate strike day

September 7, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

School supplies swap at RDF

wellesley rdf — Wellesley RDF Reusables Area

Bring your gently used school supplies in good condition (folders, markers, scissors, plastic binders, sheets, etc.) to the Reusables Area at the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility for the next few weeks. While you’re there, if you need supplies, take what you need.

It’s a casual affair, so if you see supplies you need but you didn’t bring anything to donate, no worries. The point is to keep as much out of the landfill as possible. So you’re doing the environment a favor by helping yourself to whatever supplies or your family needs to help ensure back-to-school success. Sponsored by Sustainable Wellesley and the RDF.

The Reusables Area hours are Wednesday, 7am-11:30am and Thursday-Saturday from 7am- 3pm. It is CLOSED Sunday through Tuesday. Hours to drop off your recycling, trash, yard waste and more are longer. Full information on RDF hours here.

Walk, bike, roll to school day is Oct. 12

Get ready to participate in walk, bike and roll to school day on Wednesday, Oct. 12. It’s a healthy, safe, and fun way to start the school year. If enough people participate, the event also potentially reduces traffic and emissions in town for the day.

Wellesley’s elementary schools — Bates, Fiske, Hardy, Schofield, Sprague, and Upham — are regular participants in the yearly effort, as are the middle and high schools.

Take the school bus

Seats are still available on some Wellesley Public Schools bus routes. Email WPS Transportation Director Deane McGoldrick at mcgoldrickd@wellesleyps.org

How to get the bus for free

due to the Hunnewell Swing Space project, all Hunnewell students may receive school bus transportation to their assigned schools at no cost, per School Committee policy for SY22-23.
if you live two or more miles from the school and your public school child is in kindergarten–6th grade, there is no fee by state law.

For the 2022-23 school year, bus service for your grade 7-12 kids who live under two miles from their school is $500 per student. Upham students are not eligible for bus service.

How to get your kids (or yourself) on a different kind of bus for free

A no-cost option is the CatchConnect, an on-demand micro transit service from the Metrowest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) operating between 6:45am and 6:45pm weekdays. This service is available to all, but unaccompanied youth must be 12 or older to ride. Download the MWRTA CatchConnect app and request a pick-up anywhere in Wellesley. In addition, the service provides transportation to the Woodland MBTA and to a few locations in bordering towns.

The service is free for now. In the future, the MWRTA will launch a new fare system, but an official launch date has not yet been revealed.

Learn more about CatchConnect here.

Global Climate Strike Day

A group of Wellesley residents concerned about the environment will demonstrate in front of Town Hall as a way to make the climate concerns visible to as many people as possible on Sept. 23, 3-4pm. The event is put forth by Fridays for the Future, a group which according to its website works “…to provide loss and damage finance to the communities most affected by the climate crisis.”

All are welcome to demonstrate.

Wellesley Give & Take area reopening April 8

March 30, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Barring unexpected bad weather, the Wellesley Recycling & Disposal Facility’s (RDF) Reusables Area is slated to reopen on Friday, April 8.

For the lowdown on what’s acceptable to drop off at the area, see the RDF’s guidelines. Visitors are requested to spend no more than 30 minutes at a time there in order to give others a fair shake at the treasures donated.

Wellesley RDF adds flag retirement box to books area

January 25, 2022 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

According to the U.S. Flag Code, American flags that have seen better days, “should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” The problem is that most American flags are made of nylon which, when burned, releases toxic fumes. So no, do not throw your frayed flag into the fireplace on a cold winter night and set it ablaze. Instead, bring it to the new flag retirement box at the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF).

The RDF this month placed one of the USPS-like boxes in the used books area to ensure that old American flags are respectfully treated. RDF Superintendent Jim Manzolini says, “Myself and the staff here have seen far too many flags in the trash compactors and on the floor of the trash building. We would prefer that flags be folded (correctly). If you need help doing so please stop by the office and someone will help you do so.”

The retired flags are properly disposed of by the Veterans’ Services Officer.

Worn-out flags can also be brought to Town Hall.

Flag disposal, Wellesley — The Wellesley RDF has added a U.S. Flag Retirement box, located in the used books area.

RDF Recyclable of the Month—textiles

These include clothing, blankets, gloves, jackets, hats, drapes, bedding, rugs, sneakers, backpacks, etc. (But not American flags. See above.) As long as it’s dry, it can go into the “Textiles Area” of the RDF. Even single sneakers, gloves or mittens without mates, and ratty old and frayed sweaters are acceptable. These poor-condition textiles get recycled, which keeps them out landfills.

Wellesley RDF hours

Mon.-Wed.: 7am-noon
Thur.-Saturday: 7am- 3:45pm
Closed Sundays–(Sunday hours resume April 2022)

Town of Wellesley, holidays schedule 2021-22

December 23, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

wellesley bell town hall — Wellesley Town Hall bell

The Town of Wellesley will follow a holiday schedule on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Here’s the breakdown:

Wellesley Recycling & Disposal Facility

Friday, December 24—closing at noon
Saturday, December 25—closed all day
Friday, December 31—closing at noon
Saturday, January 1—closed all day

The RDF is also closed on Sundays until the spring, so plan accordingly when disposing holiday trash.

Wellesley municipal buildings and offices

Thursday, December 23—closing at noon
Friday, December 24 —closed all day
Thursday, December 30—closing at noon
Friday, December 31—closed all day

Buildings and offices will be open for regular business hours on Monday after each holiday.

Wellesley Public Schools break

All school buildings will be closed for winter break on Fri., Dec. 24, 2021.

Classes resume on Mon., Jan. 3, 2022.

Wellesley Free Library and branch libraries

Fri., Dec. 24—closed
Fri., Dec. 25—closed
Fri., Dec. 31—closed
Sat., Jan. 1—closed

Final paint collection for the season at Wellesley Recyling and Disposal Facility

October 3, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Safely dispose of your used paint at the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility‘s (RDF) paint drop-off area on Thursday, October 7, 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 to be announced.

This is the last paint drop-off day for 2021. Paint recycling will resume in spring 2022.

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

Bring your hazardous household waste and old documents to Wellesley RDF, Sept. 12th

September 7, 2021 by admin 2 Comments

The Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF) will hold a hazardous household waste collection & document shredding event on Sunday, September 12, 9am – 3pm, at 169 Great Plain Ave.

Only Wellesley residents may participate in the event.

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

Accepted hazardous household waste items

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