If you live in an apartment or multi-family complex...

Special dumpsters or carts should be provided for tenant trash and recycling. If you carry your recyclables to the recycling dumpster in a plastic bag, please dispose of the bag in the trash after emptying its contents into the recycling cart, or bring it to a retail outlet for recycling.

If you rent a house or part of a house...

Consult your landlord or lease agreement to determine who is responsible for trash and recycling removal. If you are responsible, homeowner options (below) apply.

If you are a homeowner...

Homeowners have the following two options for trash service:

1) Hire a Private Waste Hauler

Private waste haulers, licensed by the Amherst Board of Health, offer curbside trash and recycling collection (for a fee) to Amherst residents. The following haulers are licensed in Amherst for 2022

• USA Waste and Recycling

 Your trash and recycling will not be picked up until you have a contract with a waste hauler.  

2) Pay-As-You-Throw Program at the Transfer Station

The Pay-As-You-Throw program is available to Amherst residents who generate a small quantity of trash and recycling and can transport it to the Amherst Transfer Station and Recycling Center as needed.

Participants agree to purchase and use only prepaid bags for trash. Pre-paid trash bags are a blue, 33 gallon bag with the Town Seal printed on them.  These sturdy (3ML) bags are sold in rolls of ten for $30 and are only available at the Transfer Station.  There is no cost for disposal of recyclable paper and mixed containers. Conscientious recycling can significantly reduce the amount of trash generated, reducing dependency on (and cost of) prepaid trash bags.

Purchase of a Vehicle Sticker for the Transfer Station is required.

Organic Waste and Compost

Yard waste is banned from trash, and leaves are collected in the fall by the town. You can also bring leaves and grass clippings to the Transfer Station for no charge if you have a sticker.

Composting your food waste (along with yard waste) is a great way to reduce the trash you dispose of, and it keeps it out of the landfill, where it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. You can compost it yourself using a compost bin or pile.

If you don't want to compost your food waste yourself, you have a couple of options:

1. Bring it to the Transfer Station (you'll need a sticker), where it gets collected weekly.

2. Pay for curbside organics collection. Some private companies offer regular collection and provide you with a kitchen pail or cart.

Special and Bulky Trash

Household clean-outs and renovations can produce bulky waste items such as appliances, computers, furniture, and mattresses.

In many cases your waste hauler will pick up bulky items from your curb for an additional fee. Call your hauler’s office for specifics.

Alternatively, if you have a Transfer Station Vehicle Sticker, you may bring bulky trash to the Transfer Station. Fees are charged for some items to cover a portion of the disposal cost, are payable by cash or check at the time of disposal. 

Contractors performing work for customers in Amherst may bring trash, construction, demolition materials, and recycling to the Transfer Station as long as they have a valid Commercial Vehicle Sticker.

Commercial Recycling

Recycling Regulations

Commercial establishments in Amherst, such as retail, office, restaurants, and hospitality, are required to adhere to state and municipal waste bans. This includes separating recyclables from trash, so that refuse contains no more than 5% recyclable material by volume.

What recyclables should you be separating from the trash?

Paper

Corrugated cardboard, paperboard, office paper, newspaper, and junk mail should all be recycled. Envelope windows, staples, and metal spirals can be included. Avoid recycling paper that is very wet, contaminated with food, or lined with plastic (such as hot drink cups).

Mixed Containers

Glass, steel, cartons (such as milk and juice), and aluminum containers, including cans, pans, and foil, should be recycled. Plastic containers of 2 gallons or less, that contained food, beverage, detergent, or personal care products should also be recycled. Do not recycle plastic cups or plastic bags, Styrofoam, or compostable containers.

Food Waste

Food waste can make up a large percentage of refuse, especially in a restaurant. Consider diverting your food waste from your waste stream- it can reduce your trash collection bill, and has many positive environmental benefits. For more information about diverting food waste, contact Recycleworks.