Department Of Public Works Quincy

Department Of Public Works Quincy

Department Of Public Works Quincy, The mission of the Waste and Recycling Division is to manage the collection and disposal of municipal solid waste, household hazardous waste, recyclables, and yard waste in a manner that is environmentally sound, cost-effective, and safe.

The division will partner with residents, businesses, community organizations, other municipal departments, and municipalities to enhance and deliver services that promote a healthy environment.

Quincy generates about 36,000 tons of waste annually. Every year, the city spends $6.5-7 million to collect and dispose of this waste. By reducing waste through recycling, Quincy and its residents save money.

To increase recycling, Quincy adopted a Single Stream Recycling system on July 1, 2008. Under this system, residents place all recyclables into one large barrel, bin, or another container (the old blue recycling bins may be used) with no separation of paper, plastic, metal, or glass.

Residents can mark their containers with Single Stream Recycling stickers, which are available at the DPW, 55 Sea Street. A full list of what is and is not accepted in Single Stream Recycling can be found under the DPW’s webpage on the City’s website: www.ci.quincy.ma.us.

Residential Single Stream programs have been very successful at increasing recycling rates, recovering as much as three times the amount of recyclable materials. Historically, other towns have decreased their solid waste by 10-15% during the first year of Single Stream Recycling.

If Quincy cut its solid waste by 15%, the city could see a savings of nearly $450,000. Plus, the city receives funds from selling certain recyclables.