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Common Household Trash/Kitchen Waste

This category of waste, will be accepted into the Composting Plant at the Landfill.  This waste must be in clear plastic bags, except in the case of commercial establishments with large trash containers provided and emptied by a commercial waste hauler.  The following waste falls into this category.

1. Food waste
2. Animal waste
3. Paper and light cardboard food containers
4. Styrofoam (cups, packing peanuts, etc.)
5. Paper (paper plates, cups, newspaper, magazines, paper towels, etc)
6. Disposable light weight plastic cups, picnic plates, etc.

Items in the following categories cannot be placed in household trash bags, or into commercial trash containers and will not be accepted at the Composting Plant.

Common Recycles 

Common recycles must be separated for delivery to the Landfill or collection by waste haulers.  Recycles cannot be included with common household trash.  Where bagging is specified, the bags must be clear plastic.
1. Glass bottles, light bulbs (bagged separately) 
2. Recyclable plastic bottles and containers – these are marked with a triangular recycling symbol (bagged together with aluminum and tin cans)
3. Aluminum and tin cans (bagged together with plastic bottles and containers)
4. Corrugated cardboard 

Bulky Household Items

These are the miscellaneous waste items generated by a typical household or commercial establishment, that do not fall into either of the categories above.  These items can be delivered to the landfill mixed together, but again, cannot be included in the same container with common household trash or recycles.  These items include:
1. Textiles, including clothing, sheets, blankets, table cloths, shoes, boots, etc.
2. Plastic sheets and tarps
3. Toys
4. Small appliances, including telephones, hair dryers, toasters, etc.
5. Shoes and boots
6. Brooms, mops, etc. (if handles are metal, these items go as metal and not bulky household)
7. Garden hoses
8. Flashlight batteries & similar household batteries
9. Rope
10. Carpets (must be cut into 4 ft by 4 ft or smaller pieces)
11. Wire and extension cords
12. Wooden furniture and other miscellaneous wood items.

Special Items

Each of these items must be brought to its own separate location at the Landfill.  Disposal fees apply to most of these items.  
1. Mattresses and box springs
2. Upholstered chairs & couches
3. Appliances, including refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers
4. Televisions, microwaves and computer monitors
5. Tires
6. Automobile batteries
7. Brush, trees and tree branches
8. Leaf and yard waste
9. Metal, including bed frames, metal automobile parts, etc.
10. Empty paint cans.  Left over latex paint can be dried using kitty litter.  Once the mixture has hardened, the cans can be brought to the landfill as metal.   Oil based paint is considered a hazardous waste and cannot be dried & disposed of in this way  (see below). 
11. Propane tanks, if empty, are treated as metal - if not empty they are treated as hazardous waste (see below)
12. Fire extinguishers, if empty, are treated as metal - if not empty they are treated as hazardous waste (see below)
13. Lawn mowers, motorcycles, and similar small motorized items are treated as metal, but MUST be emptied of oil and gasoline prior to disposal at the Landfill
14. Clean wood, including all lumber, wood shingles, etc., but excluding painted and pressure treated lumber. No other categories of waste can be mixed with clean wood.
15. Mixed Construction and Demolition Debris, including building materials, roof shingles, insulation, painted or treated wood, etc.  No household trash, recycles, metal, or any of items 1 through 13 above can be mixed with Construction and Demolition Debris.

Items That Cannot be Accepted at the Landfill 

1. Hazardous waste - These materials are accepted by the Nantucket Department of Public Works (DPW) on specific Hazardous Waste Disposal days throughout the year.  The DPW can be contacted at (508) 228-7244 or (508) 228-7289 for more information on hazardous waste disposal.  Hazardous materials include:
Cleaning products, including oven cleaners, drain opener, bathroom cleaner, etc.
Paint and paint products, such as oil based paint, paint thinner, adhesives, aerosol cans (not empty), etc.
Automotive products, including motor oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, antifreeze, gasoline, 
Pesticides, including weed killers, insecticides, etc.
Other products, including fire extinguishers, and propane tanks.  
2. Medical waste – Nantucket Cottage Hospital should be contacted for direction.