Recycling, Donation, Reuse A-Z

• Waste Management White Goods Pick Up To schedule an appointment for bulk waste and/or white goods pickup (washers, dryers, stoves, hot water heaters, dishwashers, trash compactors), contact Waste Management via their website or call 800-972-4545 (fees vary). 

• Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 1580 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury (617) 327-1170 accepts gently used appliances and many other home items.

• TerraCycle Free Recycling Programs. TerraCycle has branded programs that accept aerosol cans. 

• Crazy Crayons  recycles and sells recycled crayon products

• Recycling Services at Staples recycles crayons, markers, pens and mechanical pencils

CMRK will accept fine art prints, artwork, paintings, coins and sports memorabilia through their pickup program. 

Car donation programs accept a wide variety of towable vehicles, boats and athletic and farm equipment.

CARS

• • The Recycle For Gold –  Special Olympics Massachusetts 508-485-0986

  • Volunteers of America – Cars Helping People 833-300-5737

  • National Kidney Foundation Kidney Cars Program 800-488-CARS/1-800-488-2277.

  • Habitat for Humanity – Cars For Homes 877-277-4344

  • WBUR Public Radio  888-899-9287

  • Disabled American Veterans 877-594-5822

CAR BATTERY AND FLUIDS

• • Westwood Hazardous Waste Collection – this happens each fall. See the DPW website for the date.

  • AutoZone accepts car batteries and engine oil.

  • Others options include Clean Harbors at 1 Hill Avenue, Braintree

CAR TIRES

• Home Reuse: boat and dock bumpers, backyard swings

• Tire Retailers may take old tires

CAR REPAIR TOOLS

• AutoZone Free Loan A Tool Program 

• Recycling Services at Staples

• Recycling Services at Staples

• Home Depot has partnered with Call2Recycle, a nonprofit battery recycling program. Rechargeable batteries can be dropped off in Call2Recycle bins at the store. Any rechargeable battery that weighs up to 11 pounds and is under 300 watt hours is accepted. They also accept button batteries and laptop batteries.

• Car Batteries: AutoZone Car Battery Guide or Westwood Hazardous Waste Collection – this happens each fall. See the DPW website for the date

• HELPSY – curbside pickup or bin dropoff

• Animal Shelters – Animal Rescue League of Boston (Dedham)

• Thrift Stores – Savers in Norwood

• Goodwill – Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain and Quincy donation centers

• Recycling Services at Staples

Bikes can be donated to:

• CMRK will accept bicycles through their pickup program

• Bikes Not Bombs – you can drop off at their HQ in Jamaica Plains or at one of their upcoming scheduled bike drives

• Pick Up Please – A Vietnam Vet organization where you can schedule a pick up of many different items

• The Friends of the Westwood Library accepts for resale, donations of most gently used books. Donations may be dropped off in the vestibule of the Main Library. They are also accepting puzzle donations Donated puzzles MUST be secured in their original box with a piece of tape at the top and bottom. No damaged or incomplete puzzles. 

• The Friends of the Westwood Library has a bin placed behind the COA that accepts books that can't be resold at the library. Please donate your dictionaries, textbooks, encyclopedias, and older travel books at this location. 

• Westwood Little Free Libraries in neighborhoods throughout town. 

• Thrift stores such as Goodwill and Savers

• More Than Words empowers youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.

  • Dropoff bins, scheduled pickups and store dropoffs

• Westwood Buy Nothing Facebook group for Westwood residents to give away items.

• Planet Aid bins located at 155 Lenox Street in Norwood as well as the Dedham Corporate Center and Needham Junction MBTA parking lots.

• PaperBack Swap is an online site that allows you to trade books with other users for free.

• Building Materials Resource Center has a reuse center for donated building materials. 

• Reuse Marketplace is another option

• Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 1580 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury (617) 327-1170 accepts a variety of building materials.

• E.L.Harvey in Westbourgh, MA has a scale service that accepts nonhazardous materials. 

Bulky Plastics are considered trash or a bulk item pick up. 

• To schedule an appointment for bulk waste and/or white goods pickup (washers, dryers, stoves, hot water heaters, dishwashers, trash compactors), contact Waste Management via their website or call 800-972-4545 (fees vary). 

• Conigliaro Industries in Framingham accepts various types of plastic. Call for current rates: (508) 872-9668

If in good condition, see Furniture and Household Goods

• You can bring computer cables and power cords to Best Buy and Staples Recycling accepts extension cords and power cords. 

• Power cords and cables can also be dropped off at Westwood's Recycling and Energy Drive in the fall. See the DPW site for info on that event: https://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/departments/public-works/recycling-waste-management/westwood-recycling-day

• The Recycling and Energy Drive, held each fall, is an option for disposal. 

• Recycling Services at Staples also accepts cameras

Twice a year, you can bring an old, expired or damaged car seat to Target and recycle it to receive a coupon for 20% off one car seat, one stroller or select baby gear. Materials from the old car seats are recycled by Target’s partner, Waste Management.

https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/circularity/waste-elimination-reduction#csti

• Cardboard is accepted in the curbside recycling program with Waste Management. Please empty and flatten boxes before placing in tote.

• Recycling cardboard in Westwood is mandatory; boxes cannot go in the trash. The DPW runs a Cardboard dumpster program during the December holidays.

• Moving boxes in good, reusable condition may be dropped off at UHauls locations as part of their Take A Box, Leave A Box program. 

• Consider using Westwood's Buy Nothing Facebook group to give your boxes a second chance.

• Waste Management will collect carpeting as a curbside BULK ITEM, paid directly to Waste Management. Call Waste Management 24 to 48 hours in advance at 800-972-4545 to schedule the bulk item pick up or use their website.

• Carpet can be collected for free on one of the two Bulk Pickup days. Carpet should be cut to length – cut into 3 foot sections & tied in a bundle.  Bundle cannot be more than 50 pounds in total weight.

• Recycling Services at Staples accepts CDs and DVDs

• If you have a lot of CDs, DVDs and old VHS/cassette tapes to unload, check out GreenDisk.

• Target has a cell phone recycling bin at the front of the store on Highland Avenue.

• Recycling Services at Staples

• Best Buy has a trade-in or recycle program as well.

• The Wireless Alliance accepts individual phones for recycling and also has collection programs for larger volumes of phones or tablets

You might also want to check out what the EPA says about recycling used electronics.

• Waste Management will pick up Christmas trees curbside during the week after Christmas. All decorations need to be removed from the tree. 

• If your tree is not from a big box store, you can donate it to Unity Farm Sanctuary in Sherborn where their rescue animals will use it as a treat. They accept trees until February 1st. Drop off at 17 Unity Lane in Sherborn. Trees need to be free of all decorations. Trees from big box stores can't be accepted because they typically use flame retardants that are toxic to the animals.

Trees, wreaths and greens have other uses.

• Leave the tree whole and convert to shelter and feeding station for birds..

• Branches can be turned into a brush pile to shelter small birds or to cover and protect perennial plants. Here’s how

• Rent a wood chipper and make homemade mulch.

If you have a FAKE or PLASTIC tree, call Waste Management at 800-972-4545 to schedule a bulk item curbside pick-up or make use of the two bulk pickup days (usually in March and October). 

Massachusetts has officially made it illegal to throw out clothing and other textiles, becoming the first state in America to do so. Under a new law that went into effect in November 2022, residents must recycle their used garments, as long as they are dry and not infested with insects or otherwise contaminated. Please note that textiles should never be placed in your curbside recycling cart. 

When you donate textiles (clothing, shoes, household fabric, etc.), they are sorted and the highest grade gets donated or sold to thrift stores in the US, then overseas. Remaining textiles or scraps are shredded and recycled for industrial uses.  They are a valuable material that can be reused or turned into new types of fabrics, yet it is estimated that 85% of textiles end up in the trash.  Here are some great options on how to properly donate and recycle your old textiles.

• The town of Westwood has partnered with CMRK Inc.* Residents contact CMRK directly (bbbsfoundation.org or 508-466-4590) to schedule Pick-Up and all Customer Service Calls for textiles. 

*(Big Brother Big Sister Foundation and CMRK have created a new partnership to allow residents to easily donate their clothing, textile and small household items. CMRK has been in operation for over 35 years).

Many organizations welcome used clothing. Donate items in fair to good condition to homeless shelters, humanitarian organizations or second hand clothing stores. Here are a few local options.

• Goodwill in Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park or Quincy.

• WCC Thrift Shop in Norwood. 

• Collection bin in the parking lot of St. Margaret Mary Church at 845 High Street in Westwood.

Baby clothes

All of the above accept baby clothes. Here's an option that focuses specifically on infants: Loved Twice

Other Specific Uses

• Prom dresses: Wgirls

• Professional attire for job-seeking men and women: Dress For Success

• Shoes: Recycled Runners Soles4Souls program

Construction and demolition debris may never be placed in curbside recycling or trash bins.

• Conigliaro Industries in Framingham accepts construction debris. Call for current rates: (508) 872-9668

• See Mass.gov site for guidance and resources.

You can compost natural corks (not plastic ones).

ReCork is the largest collector/reuser of corks in the country. The nearest dropoff locations is The Wine Cellar Outlet, 565 Main Street in Walpole.

Wine corks are also a great thing to reuse and make into art, click here for some inspiration!

Often you can find people on Westwood's Buy Nothing Facebook page who are looking for corks for craft projects.

• Recycling Services at Staples

• REquipment — 800-261-9841 in Methuen for DME.  They accept wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, mechanical sling lifts, portable ramps, and more. They also offer pickup services.

• MassMatch 877-508-3974 for has ideas for DME and AT

E-Waste is one of the fastest growing categories of waste and often contains hazardous components making it unsustainable and unsafe to be disposed of in curbside trash and recycling. Here’s how to safely dispose of it:

Electronic Waste Collection Day in Westwood: Some items require a fee. See the information on Westwood's DPW site. 

Waste Management – contact Waste Management via their website or call 800-972-4545 (fees vary) for curbside pickup of white goods (washers, dryers, stoves, water heaters, dishwashers & trash compactors) and other large household items.

Drop off Options:

• Best Buy Trade In Program –  The nearest Best Buy is located on Route 1 in Dedham.

• Goodwill  – Stores in Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park and Quincy. Dell Reconnect is a partnership between Dell and Goodwill that allows you to donate old computing and gaming equipment.  

• Staples Recycling and Eco Services– They have stores on Route 1 in Norwood and Dedham.

• World Computer Exchange– 781-0925-3078 provides computers etc to those who don’t have access

• Gazelle – Sell and buy used cellphones and other electronic devices

Mail In Options:

• Amazon's program will take a variety of electronics

• Electrical copper wire extension cords will be accepted by a scrap metal facility like Allied Recycling in Walpole or Framingham Salvage. 

• You can also bring power cords and cords to Best Buy and Staples Recycling accepts extension cords and power cords. 

• Power cords and cables can also be dropped off at Westwood's Recycling and Energy Drive in the fall. See the DPW site for info on that event: https://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/departments/public-works/recycling-waste-management/westwood-recycling-day

• Lions Club International Headquarters – Recycles eyeglasses and hearing aids

• ONE by ONE Contact Lens Recycling Program – Atrius Health 1 Lyons Drive in Dedham.

• Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycle program on Terracycle

• Bring old eyeglasses to eye doctors, most accept donations

Local fire departments and businesses do not recycle old extinguishers. If you’re able to depressurize an extinguisher (may take a few days of repeated releases) then it can be put in the trash or accepted by a scrap metal facility like Allied Recycling in Walpole.

Here are some locations where you can drop off old flags for proper disposal:

Veterans of Foreign Wars: 193 Dean Street in Norwood, 33 Robbins Road in Walpole or 155 Eastern Avenue in Dedham. 

Food Scraps & Compostable Paper Goods:  Compost at home in your backyard or indoors with worms, or join Black Earth's curbside compost pickup program. Liquid oils go in a non-glass container on top of the bin to be poured out. If it solidifies in the container, they cannot take it. Solidified oil/fat goes in a liner and put in the bin. You can see that they take a wide variety of kitchen scraps. 

What about using my garbage disposal for food waste disposal? In-sink garbage disposals should only be used for certain types of food waste and liquids from food preparation.

Cooking Oil:     (DO NOT POUR DOWN THE SINK!)

• Small quantities: Pour into an empty milk carton or old non-recyclable takeout container; store in the fridge until full and place in trash.

• See if a local restaurant will accept the oil to include with their used oil.  Some Westwood area restaurants use a pickup service. The restaurants get paid for this oil.

Donate Edible Food:

• Westwood Food Pantry accepts nonperishable items.

• Bread & Jams: 617-497-9200, 50 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA. Daytime shelter accepts food donations. Food must be unspoiled and packaged in unopened cans, jars or dry boxes.

• Food Not Bombs – Donate unopened food and toiletries (781-492-3009)

Consider donating items that are in good used condition (free of rips, tears and stains) to New Life Furniture Bank in Walpole assists those coming out of homelessness. Be sure to review their list of items they accept. 

• they offer pickup for a fee

• you can drop off at their warehouse at 102 Elm Street in Walpole on Saturdays between 9:30 and 11:30 (no appointment needed)

Other places that accept a wide variety of things:

• Goodwill has a list of what can be donated.  Drop-offs are located in Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park and Quincy.

• My Brother's Keeper in Easton accepts furniture donations. 

• Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 14 Park Street in West Roxbury accepts new or gently used home accessories, building materials, furniture, or appliances. 

Posting your item online:

Popular options include Westwood's Buy Nothing Facebook page for free giveaway.

For furniture items that are not acceptable for donation, you can make use of Westwood's Bulk Pickup program held twice a year, typically in March and October.

• Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 14 Park Street in West Roxbury accepts new or gently used garden tools.

Waste fluids are accepted at Westwood's Hazardous Waste Day each fall. 

Glass Bottles & Jars: Rinse and recycle in the curbside program.

Broken Glass: Do not put broken glass in recycling. Small amounts of broken glass can be securely wrapped up and placed in household trash.

Drinking Glasses & Glassware: Donate to Goodwill, Salvation Army or MA Coalition for the Homeless. Give away or sell on Craig’s List or Westwood's Buy Nothing Facebook page. Glassware often is leaded glass and is not accepted for curbside recycling.

Eyeglasses: see the Eyeglasses section above.

Light Bulbs: See the Lightbulbs section below.

Conigliaro Industries in Framingham accepts various types of glass. Call for current rates: (508) 872-9668

Lions Clubs – Send used hearing aids to the following address:

Massachusetts Lions District 33-S Hearing Foundation

P.O. Box 249, Somerset, MA 02726

Holiday Lights

Recycling old lights:

• Westwood Environmental Action Committee and Westwood High School's Youth Climate Action Chapter run a string light collection program each December and January. Collection bins are at the high school and the main branch of the library on High Street.

• Holiday strings can be dropped off at Staples Recycling

• Most holiday strings can be dropped off at a scrap metal facility. One suggestion: Allied Recycling in Walpole

• HolidayLEDs.com – Christmas Light Recycling Program. They will mail you a 15% off coupon for their lights after you recycle.

• Earth911 lists local recycling options for Christmas lights.

Purchasing new lights:

When you go to buy new holiday lights, be sure to get LED lights, which will lower your energy bill. LED lights are 80 percent more efficient than the old incandescent lights and LED lights can last up to 20 years. Compare that to incandescent string lights, which usually don’t last more than a year or two. Another benefit of LED string lights is that they don’t heat up so they are a safer option for tree decorating.

Gift Wrap

• Many gift wraps include foil, metallic inks or glitter and should be put in the trash.

• Note that ribbon is NOT recyclable because it gets tangled in machines. But you can reuse it!

Halloween

• Compost pumpkins.

• Many area organizations hold a Great Pumpkin Smash, including Codman Farms in Lincoln and Boston English High School in Boston. 

Westwood Household Hazardous Waste Day in the fall. You can see what's accepted on the DPW website.

A note about latex paint: Cans of latex paint must be dried out and placed in your curbside collection trash bin with the lid on. You can let it evaporate outside or add kitty litter to speed drying. They will NOT be accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Day, only oil based paint will be accepted.

Other options:

Click Here for more information about disposing of various types of hazardous waste

Clean Harbors in Braintree, 1 Hill Ave (off Quincy Ave) accepts items on Saturday mornings from May through October. There is a small fee per pound. Call 781-380-7100 for details.

• Donate your jewelry to local thrift stores- see the Clothing section above.

• Repair your fine jewelry at local jewelers

Key for Hope scraps metal keys and fobs to support food pantries.

Incandescent bulbs go in household trash.

CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs and LED bulbs are accepted at most Lowe's and Home Depot locations. Call ahead to be sure.

Fluorescent bulbs and tubes should be taken to the Westwood Hazardous Waste Day in the fall.

If you break a fluorescent bulb, they contain mercury, follow clean-up directions here.

• Recycling Services at Staples

Textiles, mattress and box springs have been added to the Mass DEP’s Waste Ban List effective November 1, 2022.  Meaning textiles, mattresses and box springs will no longer be accepted at curbside, transfer stations, landfills or waste to energy facilities for ultimate disposal.

• The town of Westwood has partnered with Green Team Junk Removal. Residents contact GTJR directly at 508-361-0519 to schedule Pick-Up, Payment and all Customer Service Calls.  Items will be picked up within 72 hours.  Each unit is $75 dollars (mattress = $75 and box spring = $75), prices subject to change.

• Conigliaro Industries in Framingham accepts mattresses. Call for current rates: (508) 872-9668

• Green Mattress Recycling in Brockton accepts mattresses. Call for current rates: (508) 488-6867

• Eco+ Recycling Services in Foxborough accepts mattresses and other types of waste. As of January 2024, their dropoff rate for mattresses is $40. 

• Sharps containers can be disposed of in the sharps kiosk at the Municipal Building at 50 Carby Street. Do not put loose needles, boxes or oversized containers in the kiosk. Appropriate size containers can be obtained from the COA, Town Hall and Health Department. 

• Expired prescription and over the counter medications can be disposed of in the Medication Collection box in the lobby of the police station on High Street. 

Curbside: In your curbside toter, please recycle only those metal items allowed by Waste Management: rinsed food cans, aluminum cans, foil and pie tins.

Scrap Metal: Most other metal items NOT accepted by Waste Management can be recycled at a scrap metal facility.  Two suggestions: Allied Recycling in Walpole and Framingham Salvage

• CMRK accepts most musical instruments, including accordions and keyboards, through their pickup program.

• Community Music Center of Boston accepts donations of instruments. 

• Instrumental Angels in Sudbury accepts donations of musical instruments. 

• If you prefer to sell your music gear, Music Go Round in Natick buys and trades gear. 

• Earth911 provides information on reusing and recycling office supplies.

• Recyclebank has a great guide to recycling a variety of office supplies.

• Recycling Services at Staples will recycle crayons, colored pencils, pens, pencils, markers and highlighters

• Cans of latex paint may be dried out and placed in your curbside trash bin, with the lids off. Let evaporate outside or add kitty litter to speed drying. These will not be accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Day.

• Please do not put oil based paint in the trash.  Bring it to Hazardous Waste Day or drop it off at Clean Harbors in Braintree, 1 Hill Ave (off Quincy Ave) which accepts items on Saturday mornings from May through October. There is a small fee per pound Call 781-380-7100 for details.

Can I donate leftover paint?
If you have leftover, unwanted paint that is in good condition, you can donate it to nonprofits and other agencies in your area for reuse in remodeling, set design and other applications. Organizations that accept unwanted paint include high school drama departments, community theater groups, schools, charities and places of worship. 

Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Ashland will accept unopened cans of paint less than 10 years old. 

Click here to learn more about recycling your paint with RECOLOR

Can paint be dried out, then thrown away?
Latex, water-based and acrylic paints can be disposed of in this manner. As long as these paints are fully dried, you can throw them into your household trash can.

Oil-based paints should never be tossed in the trash, even if they are dried.

Can paint cans and lids be recycled?
Paint cans cannot be recycled curbside. 

Paper Recycling:

Paper is acceptable in the curbside recycling program with Waste Management.  Color does not matter, nor does thickness of paper.  If there are embellishments on it like glitter, metallic imprints, bits of plastic, etc.- toss it in the trash. Shredded paper is not recyclable curbside; please place in trash.

Paper Shredding for free:

Keep your documents (including paper, credit cards, CDs and magazines) for shredding in an empty box. Dedham Savings Bank and others occasionally run free shredding events at locations in Westwood and surrounding towns. 

Paper Shredding (fees apply):

• Staples® in Dedham and Norwood

• The UPS Store in Needham

Goodwill in Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park or Quincy accepts decorative and throw pillows, not sleeping pillows.

Even if you shop with reusable bags, and REFUSE, REDUCE, and REUSE the best you can, chances are you still bring some plastic into the home.  Did you know that plastic bag recycling stations accept much more than the ubiquitous grocery bag?  Here’s info to help you maximize your recycling:

1. Plastic bags can be recycled in retail stores only. Collect your bags and bring them to a participating grocery store like Big Y, Shaw's, Stop & Shop, Wegmans, Whole Foods. 
   CLICK HERE to learn more about what is accepted at retail stores. 

2. Never put plastic bags in your curbside recycling bin and don't put recyclables inside plastic bags.  They jam recycling equipment
   CLICK HERE to watch a video of the plastic bags damaging recycling machinery. 

YES – DO RECYCLE IN STORES ONLY

• Recycle bags that are empty, clean and dry; remove receipts and trash

  1. Grocery and produce bags

  2. Newspaper bags

  3. Dry cleaning bags (no receipts/staples)

  4. Sandwich/Ziploc/bread bags (clean and dry)

  5. Cereal bags

  6. Bubble wrap

  7. Plastic outerwrap from toilet paper, paper towels, diapers

  8. Case wrap from cases of water

  9. Bags with sealed air used for packaging (deflate the air cushions)

  10. Stretch wrap from furniture or electronics

  11. Any plastic bag labeled with:  2, “HDPE,” “PE-HD” or  4, “LDPE,” “PE-LD,” “LLDPE”

  12. Retail bags (#2 or 4) with string/hard plastic handles removed

NO – DO NOT RECYCLE

• NO bag with food in or on it

• NO garbage bags

• NO food or cling wrap, e.g. Saran

• NO prepackaged food bags (frozen food or pre-washed salad)

• NO chip bags or candy wrappers

• NO bags with paint or glue

• NO compostable plastic bags

• NO bag with a recycling symbol or # other than those described in the “yes” column

Many companies have take-back programs. Here are a few:

• Best Buy: $25 fee for monitors and TVs. Best Buy also has a haul-away program.

• Dell: Free recycling of any Dell product and other brands when buying Dell.

• Apple’s program works for trade-in on new products or, if your old device has no value, Apple will recycle for free.

• HP: Free recycling of any HP or Compaq product, small fee for other brands.

• Printer Cartridges – STAPLES: $2 Staples Rewards per recycled cartridge.

• GreenDisk: check their website or call 1-800-305-DISK.

• For a large number of empty gas grill propane tanks, follow this link for more information on Blue Rhino pick-up program.

• Allied Recycling in Walpole

• Household Hazardous Waste Day at the Carby Street facility in Westwood

• Tanks 2 You Propane program accepts empty cylinders at Norwood Bottled Gas on Route 1

• Mass Save Rebate Program – You may be eligible for a free curbside pick up. 

• Waste Management White Goods Pick Up To schedule an appointment for bulk waste and/or white goods pickup, contact Waste Management via their website or call 800-972-4545 (fees vary). 

• If it still works and is less than 8 years old, consider donating to Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 1580 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury (617) 327-1170.

Recycling is not an option for rubber bands but you can reuse them. 

• wind them around hangers to keep clothes from slipping off  

• seal your bags of chips, cereal and frozen food 

• wrap them around jar lids to get a good grip

• donate them to schools for crafts projects, to the post office or any business that uses them.

• The town of Westwood has partnered with CMRK Inc.* Residents contact CMRK directly (https://www.cmrkne.com/faq or 508-466-4590) to schedule Pick-Up and all Customer Service Calls for athletic sneakers and shoes. 

*(Big Brother Big Sister Foundation and CMRK have created a new partnership to allow residents to easily donate their clothing, textile and small household items. CMRK has been in operation for over 35 years).

Athletic Shoes:

• Goodwill drop-offs are located in Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park and Quincy.

• Big Brother Big Sister

• The Nike Grind program accepts old athletic sneakers from all brands and transforms them into sports surfaces and new shoes

• One World Running – Mail shoes in good condition here. Shoes will be sent to athletes in Africa, Latin America and Haiti.

• Give Running

• Got Sneakers

Other Shoes:

• Share Your Soles

• Goodwill drop-offs are located in Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park and Quincy.

These annoying packets have a multitude of household uses, from keeping important documents and photographs dry, to dealing with a wet cell phone, or keeping them in your toolbox to prevent tools from rusting.  Learn more or search online for even more uses.

Smoke detectors have a limited life span; it is suggested you replace them every 8-10 years.  Recycle Nation is a good source of information on how smoke detectors work and what to do with them at the end of their useful life.

• Dispose: Certain smoke detectors contain a radioactive sensing device, but the radioactivity is so low that it is considered harmless. It is okay to dispose in the trash so long as the batteries are removed before disposal.

• Return to Manufacturer: Many manufacturers accept returned radioactive detectors for disposal as hazardous waste.  These smoke detectors should have an “I” on the back along with the symbol for radioactivity. 

• Other Disposal Resources: Curie Environmental Services is the only organization that actually recycles smoke detectors. The advantage of this, in addition to dealing with any even mildly radioactive material responsibly, is that it avoids additional plastic ending up in landfill.

If you have questions, call the retailer where you bought your smoke detector

Subaru / TerraCycle partnership – Look for the boxes below at Clay Subaru on Route 1 in Norwood.

Here’s what they’re collecting:
✅ Any brand of disposable cups, lids, and straws
✅ Any brand of candy and snack wrappers (Potato Chip and Cookie Bags)
✅ Any brand of coffee or creamer capsules (K-Cup)

Click here for more information

Snowblower – 

Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 14 Park Street in West Roxbury accepts working snowblowers.

Broken snowblowers are not accepted as bulk items. Here are two options:

• Junk Teens is a business run by two Westwood teens

• Junk King

Shovels – Snow shovels are not recyclable and should be placed in the trash. If they are still in good condition, please consider donating them. 

• Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 14 Park Street in West Roxbury accepts new or gently used garden tools.

You can resell or buy used sports equipment or donate equipment to charitable organizations that will recycle them. 

Other options:

• Play It Again Sports accepts both new and used equipment. They have a store in Dedham.

• Westwood's Buy Nothing Facebook page. 

Westwood residents should not put styrofoam in curbside recycle bins, even if it has a recycling symbol. Instead, place it in your trash bin.

You can drop off rigid polystyrene for recycling at Insulation Technology in Bridgewater at 35 First Street. They accept rigid polystyrene Monday-Friday between 7:00 and 3:00. Drive all the way around back to the wooden stairs by the far loading dock and ring the bell. They are a small manufacturing business doing their part to keep polystyrene out of the waste stream. 

One excellent way to reuse styrofoam is in the bottom of large planters. Break up pieces of styrofoam or use styrofoam peanuts (the non-dissolving kind) to take up extra space before topping with soil.  Here are some more options on how to reuse styrofoam.

• See Electronics above.

You can recycle certain items for free with TerraCycle. TerraCycle is a social enterprise Eliminating the Idea of Waste®. In 21 countries, they tackle the issue from many angles. They make it possible to recycle difficult items that are unable to be recycled curbside. 

There are many options for recycling textbooks.

• Sell back to college bookstores.

• Sell on Amazon or Ebay.

• There are often cash-for-books trucks on college campuses at the end of semesters.

• Last, there are online organizations that collect used textbooks for distribution both in the United States and in other countries. 

• For textbooks that are too old to donate for reuse, use the Friends of the Westwood Library bin behind the COA that accepts books that can't be resold at the library. Dictionaries, textbooks, encyclopedias, and older travel books can be placed at this location. 

• Visit your nearest GameStop to find out the value of the video games for sale or trade. There are several GameStop stores in the area, including in the Dedham Mall and Walpole Mall.

• For more information on recycling games, including damaged ones, go to RecycleNation.com.

You can compost natural corks (not plastic ones).

ReCork is the largest collector/reuser of corks in the country. The nearest dropoff locations is The Wine Cellar Outlet, 565 Main Street in Walpole.

Wine corks are also a great thing to reuse and make into art, click here for some inspiration!

Often you can find people on Westwood's Buy Nothing Facebook page who are looking for corks for craft projects.

In addition to the ideas in the Clothing section above, many organizations sponsor winter coat drives but because the need is seasonal, information does not become available until August or September at the earliest.

OneWarmCoat.com is a nationwide website that provides information on local coat drives.

Plywood and wood from fallen limbs may not be disposed of in curbside trash or recycling.  Plywood and other wood from construction projects must be disposed of through a private contractor. 

Wood Pallets:

• AutoZone

Suggestions for disposing of wood from fallen limbs:

• Post free wood on Craig’s List or Westwood's Buy Nothing Facebook group. 

Wool Dryer Balls can be used in place of dryer sheets and can cut down dryer time, eliminate chemicals, and soften fabrics! Check out this DIY website for instructions on how to save money and make them yourself. They’re also sold at Target, Walmart, and grocery stores.

X-Ray Film Recycling in Boston will pick up old/used x-rays anywhere in Massachusetts…if the quantities are large enough. While many people with just one or two films will discard them in the trash, that just adds to the landfill problem. A better solution? Use their paid pickup service or bundle together with other people for a free pickup.

Recycle Nation is a good source of information on the value of the silver in your x-rays, why we should recycle them, and how to do it.

For soil and plant material:

• South Ridge Farm and Nursery: 399 South Street in Walpole, (508) 668-0401 accepts drop off of organic yard waste, grass, brush, stumps, logs, leaves, hay, sod, fill and stone for a small fee. We recommend calling ahead for more information and pricing

• Dirt or soil: Call a private hauler or try giving away good soil on Craig’s List or Westwood's Buy Nothing Facebook group.

• For grass clippings, leaves and small twigs: see Westwood's curbside pickup program from April through November.

For non-organic junk that sometimes ends up in yards:

• Chemicals and paints: Bring to the next household hazardous waste collection day.

• Vinyl kiddie pools and pool liners?  Get creative. There are many suggestions online.

• Similarly, an online search will uncover many ways to re-purpose old garden hoses, lawn furniture, etc. Click Here for Some Ideas

• Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 14 Park Street in West Roxbury accepts new or gently used garden tools.

Please note: Plant pots (the inexpensive plastic pots containing seedlings, vegetables and flowers you buy) are not recyclable.  Please trash if you cannot reuse.