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1. What do I do if my trash or recycling was not picked up?

Call G. Mello at 978-352-8581 and let them know it was missed as soon as possible.

Trash should be placed curbside no later than 6:30 am. Residential recycling in Amesbury is collected every other week on your trash day. Carts must be placed curbside no later than 6:30 am for collection. Trucks cannot be sent back if carts are not placed out on time.

2. What happens with plastic grocery shopping bags?

Find information on what happens with plastic shopping bags in the Sack the Bag informational flier (PDF).

3. What should I do with my blue recycling bins?

Clean blue bins in good condition may be returned to the city for reuse. The purchase price of the blue bins will not be refunded for returned bins. Customers may also reuse bins for other purposes around the home or office.

4. Who owns and maintains the carts?

G. Mello Disposal Corporation will own and maintain the carts. The carts will be assigned to a specific address. Carts needing repair or replacement due to normal wear and tear will be covered by G. Mello Disposal Corporation. Please call G. Mello directly for repair. Repair or replacement of carts due to customer misuse will be charged to the customer. You can replace carts through the Department of Public Works office.

Use of carts for anything other than the collection of recyclables is prohibited. Residents moving from the city must leave the cart for the next resident. Carts cannot be replaced without a fee. Please note:  We encourage new residents to include in their final home walk-through, a check to see that the recycling cart is present and remains with the address.

5. What is the Mandatory Recycling Ordinance established June 10, 2014?

Read through Ordinance 2014-067: Amesbury Mandatory Recycling Enforcement Ordinance (PDF).

6. How does automated recycling collection work?

Each 64-gallon cart has attached wheels to make moving them easy, and an attached lid to contain recyclables and provide for a cleaner process.

Carts should be placed curbside, to the right of the driveway if applicable, with lid opening facing the street. Place recycling carts with metal bar facing the road for easy automated pick-up.

If the recycling cart is placed properly at the curb an automated arm on the right hand side of the truck comes down and lifts the cart, dumps its contents into the hopper, and returns the cart to the ground. This process helps reduce worker injuries and keeps the cost of collection services down.

There are a few things residents can do to make the recycling collection go smoothly.

• Place recycling on one side of the driveway and trash on the opposite side of the driveway whenever possible.
• Leave 6 to 10 inches space between each recycling cart so that the arm can fit around the cart.
• Whenever possible remove cars from the street on the day of collection.
• Make sure basketball hoops, bikes or other items are not on public property.
• If you know the recycling truck backs down your road, place recycling carts on the right side where the arm is on the truck.
• If you find you find your cart on the opposite side of the street after it has been emptied, that is where the recycling truck driver needs the cart to be in order to collect it by the automated arm.
• If you use bins or other containers, the driver must get out of the truck and physically pick-up and empty each container.
• Recycling carts found to have other items inside that are not recyclable materials may not be collected.
  • Items Found in Recycling Carts:
    • Furniture
    • Baby diapers
    • Wood
    • Drywall
    • A sheet cake
    • Dog waste
    • Garden hose
    • Video cassettes
    • Rope
    • Car parts
    • Tissue and paper towels

Recycling is collected every other week on trash day. Carts must be placed curbside by 6:30 am for pick up. Trucks will not come back if carts are not placed out on time. 

Thank you for recycling in Amesbury.