Trash and recycling reminders

posted on: 7/24/2020

Waste Management, the City's new solid waste and recycling vendor, began curbside pick-up on July 1. Although pick-up routes mostly remain the same, residents are reminded that:

• The pick-up time on your regularly scheduled collection day may be different than it was prior to July 1. To ensure trash and recycling are picked up, please remember that all items must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on the designated collection day or as early as 4 p.m. the day before.
• By City ordinance, the maximum weight of trash bags is 35 pounds. Waste Management may reject trash bags that exceed the weight limit. Bags should be tied or sealed and should not be overloaded. Please note that the smaller, 15-gallon bags are rated for 20 pounds maximum.
• Dover trash bags can be purchased from a variety of local merchants, as well as the City Clerk's Office, the Community Services facility on Mast Road, and the Recycling Center. For a list of local merchants selling Dover trash bags, visit https://go.usa.gov/xfXAs.
• Curbside trash and recycling pick-up will follow the existing holiday schedule. Collection during a holiday week will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week beginning on the holiday. For a list of holidays, see the city's website here: https://go.usa.gov/xwApG.
• All non-metal items too large to fit in a Dover trash bag, such as furniture, mattresses, toilets and carpets, require a bulky item tag. Bulky item tags can be purchased at the Community Services facility on Mast Road, the Recycling Center and at most locations where city trash bags are sold.

There are new restrictions on what types of plastics can be recycled. Only the items listed below should be placed in your household recycling bin:

Plastic: Only #1, #2 and #5 plastics are allowed. Bottles, tubs, jugs, jars only. Remove caps. Rinse and dry. NO PLASTIC BAGS.
Glass: Bottles and jars only. Rinse and dry.
Cardboard, cartons, paper: Newspaper, magazines, office paper and junk mail only. Flatten, then place in recycling bin, paper bags, or bundle and tie. Rinse and dry. No plastic bags.
Metal: Aluminum, tin and steel cans. Rinse and dry.

Note: The City of Dover discourages the use of single-use plastics including, but not limited to, plastic straws, disposable plates, cups, utensils, light-weight plastic bags, beverage containers and razors.

Clean recycling means materials can get to their next best use, which helps protect the environment by conserving natural resources, saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Placing items in recycling bins that are not recyclable such as Styrofoam, light bulbs, plastic flower pots and bags, contaminates the entire load and may send it to a landfill and will cost us more. Recycling bins that contain non-recyclable items may not be picked up or flagged with a warning sticker.
Follow these simple recycling guidelines:

Recycle all bottles, cans and paper.
Keep items clean and dry.
No plastic bags of any kind.

Not sure if an item is recyclable? When in doubt, visit http://www.recyclesmartma.org. Enter the item name and click search.

For more information, visit the City's website here or contact Community Services at 516-6450.