Putnam's 1st bulky waste collection,in Pomfret
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — March 1 Putnam residents will become acquainted with the new bulky waste disposal program down the road at POMFRET’s new transfer station.
The program residents are accustomed to, bringing bulky waste to a Putnam location and having the items off-loaded by helpers, is no more.
The new system will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 1 at Pomfret’s new transfer station, at the end of Nora Lane, off Rt. 101 (turn at Paquette’s Electric), according to Putnam Highway Superintendent Travis Sirrine. Putnam is using Pomfret’s station. The details of the memorandum of understanding between the two towns are still being worked out.
Here’s what Putnam residents can expect. At the black entry gate Putnam residents will show their proof of Putnam residency (i.e. driver’s license, vehicle registration, etc.) and tell the gate person what types of bulky waste they have and the staff will tell them which dumpsters to head for.
It is a one-way entrance and residents will be directed to pull in next to the railing to unload into the dumpster. There will no longer be any labor to help unload. Residents need to bring their own labor.
There is no charge. Casella will have placed the dumpsters at the station and will charge the town of Putnam based on the tonnage.
Sirrine said the town of Putnam is hoping to have Putnam bulky waste disposal at Pomfret “in the range of once a month.” Schedules are part of the discussions on the memorandum of understanding. The town of Putnam did the paving, as agreed upon, Sirrine said, but the memorandum is not done yet.
What can be dropped off: Furniture, electronics, computers, large appliances, monitors, plumbing fixtures, mattresses, TVs, microwaves, stereos, scrap metal, miscellaneous electronics, etc. No household trash and no hazardous materials.
Sirrine said the town is working on a hazardous waste disposal day for some time midsummer. A date and time have not been determined yet.
He said that items currently dropped off at the town’s Fox Road garage, such as tires, electronics and mattresses/box springs can still be dropped off there; however, once the bulky waste schedule is “sorted out” those items will go to Pomfret only. “The town will give (Putnam) residents plenty of notice when that happens,” Sirrine said.
The possibility of a “trade station” at the transfer station has been talked about, Sirrine said. Woodstock has a trade station at its transfer station. Residents put items that are in good shape but not needed and other residents look through the trade station for items they might need. If Pomfret does one, it would be in the future. Sirrine said the state encourages trade stations to encourage recycling.
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