Reduce/ Reuse
Reuse your containers. Minimize purchase of containers ( for example, buy your milk in a reusable glass bottle ), Bring your drink from home in a reusable container. Reuse cardboard boxes. Instead of recycling your boxes or shipping materials, post them for free on social media. The ultimate solution for the town to reduce waste disposal costs is to reduce the amount of waste we create. Link to list of charitable organizations for donating all types of household goods: https://housing.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/TheDownsizingDonationGuide.pdf
Compost
Removing food waste from our Municipal Solid Waste ( MSW) reduces Hamden's disposal costs. Up to 25% of all the trash we throw away is food waste and other organics that are valuable and easy resource to "reuse". Adding compost to the soil can fertilize your vegetable and flower gardens without cost. Brining food scraps to the transfer station reduces the disposal cost by about 50% .Composting at home reduces the disposal cost 100%, while also providing healthier soils.
Food Waste
Residents that cannot compost at home, can bring their food waste in a reusable container (that you must keep and reuse!), during regular hours of the transfer station, Monday through Friday 7:30 – 11:30 and 12:30- 3:00 pm, and The transfer station now also open the first Saturday of each month from 8:00 to 11:45 am.
The town has free plastic pails with lids for residents transporting food scraps to the transfer station and for home use. Call the Recycling Coordinator to get one at 203-287-7021.
Recycling
It conserves natural resources, reduces pollution, saves energy and saves tax dollars! While it costs Hamden taxpayers $88 for every ton of refuse disposal, recycling cost less, $ 70.00 per ton for disposal. If you have a any questions about what ot put into your blue recycling container, there is a free phone app you can download, RecycleCT. or the website https://www.recyclect.com/ Also check the ' Guide to Recycling" below on this page.
Curbside Recycling & Refuse Program
To guarantee pickup, please have your recycling cart out before 6 a.m. on your pickup day. Place cart at the curb with the arrows and lid opening toward the street. All trash and recycling must be placed in the provided carts. Any trash bags or recycling placed outside of the carts will be left behind. Make sure the lids are closed as this will keep animals, rain, snow and ice out. For ease of automated pickup, please place your carts no closer than 3 feet apart of each other and away from obstacles such as mailboxes, utility poles, fire hydrants, parked cars or under trees.
Pickup Schedule
Curbside recycling is collected every other week, on the same day as refuse pick-up. To look up your collection day and recycling schedule please view the Recycling Weeks by Address (PDF) and the 2022 Recycling Calendar
Holidays
There is no refuse or recycling collection on the following holidays. NOTE: July 4th and Christmas are on Sunday's this year and so these holidays will NOT delay the collection ,as noted below
- New Year's Day
- Memorial Day
- Fourth of July
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
Collection for that day is delayed and for the rest of the week the collection MAY be delayed. i.e. if your pickup day is Friday and that Monday was a holiday ,do not put your bins out a day late on Saturday. Put them out Friday. If the holiday falls on a weekend day, there will be regularly scheduled trash and recycling collection.
Recyclable Items
Pink Bags
The curbside textile collection program is on hold due to the pandemic.
However, pink bags can be dropped off at the Pink Bin at the Transfer Station now ( updated 8-20-21)
List of places you can donate unwanted clothing and household items, furniture and more. Some of these organizations will pickup at your house: Textile and Household Bulk Item Reuse
Mattresses - mattresses can be recycled ! Bring mattresses and box springs to the Transfer station .For more information about Connecticut's Mattress recycling program: https://mattressrecyclingcouncil.org/more-than-1-million-mattresses-recycled-in-connecticut/