The Swellesley Report

Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Survey says? Share your thoughts about the Wellesley DPW

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From the Department of Public Works:

Wellesley Municipal Light Plant, DPW
Wellesley Municipal Light Plant

Share your feedback on Department of Public Works (DPW) operations by completing the Spring 2026 DPW Customer Survey.

All comments are valuable to help DPW identify the level of satisfaction with current services and where improvement is needed.

The deadline to complete the nine-question survey is Saturday, May 16.

Questions? Please email dpw@wellesleyma.gov

Reminder:  The RDF Reusables Area re-opens for the 2026 season on Wednesday, April 22. Hours of operation are:

  • 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Wednesdays)
  • 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Thursday through Saturday)
  • CLOSED (Sunday through Tuesday)

Hours may change due to volunteer schedules. If you are interested in becoming a Reusables volunteer, please contact the RDF office at 781-235-7600 ext. 3345.

Filed Under: RDF

     

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New to Wellesley, Mass.? You need to know about the RDF

wellelsey rdf give and take opening week

The Wellesley Recycling & Disposal Facility, aka, The Dump, is located at 169 Great Plain Ave., and is THE place for residents to dispose of trash and recycling.

It’s also a great place to pick up treasures at the seasonal Give & Take (Reusables) and year-round book exchange areas. The RDF also offers food waste disposal and free screened compost.

The town states in its fiscal year 2025 annual report that recycling revenue & cost savings benefits totaled about $1m for the year.

The RDF is free for residents (get a sticker), though it will cost you to drop off appliances (pro tip: some have been known to hit up friends in nearby communities where appliance drop-offs are free).

Check the RDF website (or download the app) for the latest info on days and hours, as well as special events such as paint and hazardous waste drop-off days, and paper shredding.

Some in town use private collection services, with the RDF’s hours often cited as a barrier.

 

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Wellesley Wonderful Weekend
Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, 2026

Wellesley RDF takes everything, even a piano

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File this under another reason to love the Wellesley dump. This morning at about 7:30am, we deposited our well-loved but un-homed upright piano at the RDF. (We got it for free on Facebook a decade ago, and you may have seen my pleas to rehome it on Facebook’s free sites over the past few months.)

The RDF’s great staff were a huge help, instructing us to back it up to the “wood only” big tent where Arty used the big claw to lift it out of our U-Haul trailer. Then he deposited it into the front loader to move it over to the bulk waste.

piano rdf
Photos by Jen Bonniwell

 
piano rdf

See something? Send something: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley Kitchen and Home Tour
Hunnewell Fun Fair 2026

Wellesley Cultural Council grant applications due Oct. 17

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The deadline is Oct. 17, 2023, to apply to the Wellesley Cultural Council for a grant to present programs in the arts, humanities, or sciences for the cultural benefit of the people of Wellesley.

The Wellesley Cultural Council exists to enhance the quality of cultural life for the residents of Wellesley by helping to fund programs in the arts, cultural, and interpretive sciences. Applications that benefit the greatest possible cross section of residents of Wellesley’s predominantly highly-educated, family-oriented, and increasingly culturally/racially-diverse town are of particular interest to the Council.

Wellesley dump art
Fun fact: Mrs. Swellesley was a 2016 recipient of a Wellesley Cultural Council grant. The idea behind “Wellesley Dump Art” was simple: to create still-life arrangements on-site at the RDF  using exclusively items that came into the Give-and-Take area and flowers from my yard. I then photographed what visitors put together.

The fiscal year 2024 allotment is $7,900. Last year’s funded programs included a juggling performance, the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, and more. See the entire list here.

The grants program operates under the umbrella of the Mass Cultural Council, which funds and manages a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) across the state, representing every city and town in the Commonwealth. Each council awards money based on individual community cultural needs, assessed and set by LCC members. Applicants apply directly to local councils.

More arts information

Festivals & Projects
Grants of $2,500 for organizations to fund public activities that incorporate the arts, humanities, or sciences.

New in 2024: Grants for Creative Individuals
This program aims to equitably advance creative expression throughout the Commonwealth with unrestricted grants to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative individuals. Grants are $5,000.

Programs, A-Z

What the Wellesley Cultural Council does

Rotary Club, Taste of Wellesley

We visited the Wellesley RDF for some aromatherapy—seriously

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Right now, the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility is the most fragrant place in town. In a good way. When we stopped by to deal with our weekly transfer station chores, we inhaled the freshest, most invigorating pine-y aroma as we separated glass from cans, and chipboard from newspapers (whatever those are). As we rounded the corner en route to the trash compactor, we found the scent source. A mountain of discarded Christmas trees towered over the adjacent leaf litter and grass clippings. It was at once both beautiful and sad.

Wellesley RDF
We’re always on the lookout for a bargain to share with our readers. The Wellesley RDF’s self-serve aromatherapy treatments are hot (and free) right now.

Next time you’re at the RDF breathe in the fresh smell. I’m telling you, it’s as restorative as forest bathing. It’s OK to get out of your vehicle and admire the trees. Consider thanking them for their holiday-time service and for all the happiness they brought to Wellesley families.

Just don’t try to walk through the “forest.” Wandering around the yard waste disposal area is strictly against RDF rules. Apparently tripping hazards outweigh the potential health benefits. But you may gaze upon the scene and inhale…exhale. When you’re later asked why you exude such serenity, just smile. Only you need to know about the RDF pine tree pile, the cheapest aromatherapy option out there.

Never say we don’t have a nose for news.

Wellesley RDF
We say the Wellesley RDF mountain of Christmas trees rivals the Whites of New Hampshire (in the visiting convenience category).

Wellesley RDF hours

Monday-Wednesday, 7am-noon
Thursday-Saturday, 7am-3:45pm
Sunday-closed (Sunday hours will resume in April)

Wellesley RDF roundup—paint collection; Reusables Area; hazardous waste day; document shredding

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Wellesley RDFThe Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF), located at 169 Great Plain Avenue, is gearing up to help residents take care of all their spring clean-out needs. Dates for the grand reopening of the Reusables Area; paint collection; hazardous waste collection; and document shredding have all been announced. Here’s the lowdown:

Thursday, April 7: paint collection

The RDF will collect old paint on Thursday, April 7 from 3-6pm, and the first Thursday of each month through October 2022.

Paint is also available for the taking from the shed during regular RDF hours except during paint drop-off events. Stop by the RDF office for assistance.

Wednesday, April 13: Reusables Area opens (weather permitting)

For those new to town, the Wellesley RDF Reusables Area is like a daily free yard sale where one family’s trash is another family’s treasures. Drop off your household items that are in working order or easily repairable, then scout the well-organized tables laden with the cast-offs of others. Everything you bring, you donate. Everything you pick up is free, and you don’t have to bring a donation to “shop.” The swap area is a town treasure of a place, run by the Friends of Recycling volunteers (they can always use new members). We can’t prove it, but we guess there’s not a home in Wellesley that doesn’t have something, somewhere from the Reusables Area.

Our favorite find of 2021: a nifty chair, perfect for The Swellesley Report’s editorial office (aka our older son’s childhood bedroom). It takes discipline, but please follow the rules and limit your visits to 30 minutes per day.

Wellesley RDF, Swellesley office
Wellesley RDF, Swellesley office

Sunday, May 1: hazardous waste collection

Wellesley RDF, Hazardous Materials Day
Hazardous Materials Day

Safely, and without a fee, dispose of hazardous household waste and other items on Sunday, May 1, 9am-3pm, at the Recycling and Disposal Facility. Hazardous Waste Collection Day is an important component in Wellesley’s environmentally responsible approach to integrated solid waste management.

Here’s the list of accepted and unaccepted items.

If you miss the Wellesley hazardous waste collection day, you can contact Clean Harbors or New England Disposal Technologies Inc. to dispose of hazardous waste for a fee at their facilities.

Sunday, May 1: document shredding

Safely dispose of sensitive documents at the RDF on Sunday, May 1, 9am-3pm. The spring document destruction event is open to Wellesley residents only. It’s super easy to participate. You don’t even get out of your car, just make sure documents are corralled in a clearly marked brown paper bag or disposable cardboard box in the trunk of the vehicle. Once you give over your paper clutter, it’s goodbye forever. Shredded stuff cannot be returned to you. More guidelines here.

Last year’s shredding event resulted in shredding seven tons of documents from 305 cars.

RDF hours

Monday-Wednesday: 7am-noon
Thursday-Saturday: 7am-3:45
Sunday: 10am-3pm

Filed Under: RDF

Wellesley RDF adds flag retirement box to books area

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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)