Recycling & Getting Rid of Stuff

The Newton Resource Recovery Center on Rumford Avenue in Newton is your one-stop spot for recycling, donating, and responsibly disposing of almost anything. Whether you’re cleaning out your garage, decluttering your basement, or doing a little fall cleanup, you can bring almost anything here—from old TVs and tired mattresses to cooking oil, yard waste, and even used motor oil—and know it’s being handled the right way for our planet.

Location

Located conveniently at 115 Rumford Ave, Auburndale, MA 02466, the Center is open to all Newton residents. Proof of Newton residency or business address may be requested.

Hours of Operation

Fall Hours (Sept 29 – Oct 31)
Monday–Saturday: 7:00 AM – 2:30 PM

Winter Hours (Nov 1 – Mar 31)
Monday–Friday: 7:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Closed on Sundays, holidays, and occasionally during heavy rain or snow.

Accepted Items

• Appliances and Freon items
• Antifreeze and motor oil
• Batteries
• Books
• Cardboard
• Clothing and textiles (clean and dry)
• Cooking oil
• Compost and food scraps
• Containers from the kitchen, laundry, and bathroom
• Used electronics
• Fluorescent bulbs
• Household hazardous waste (special event)
• Lawn mowers and snowblowers
• Reusable latex paint (May–October)
• Mattresses and box springs
• Mercury-containing devices
• Paper
• Printer cartridges
• Propane tanks
• Rigid plastics
• Scrap metal
• Sharps
• Styrofoam
• Yard waste or Christmas trees

Newton has been a leader in recycling for decades. Today, the city uses a single-stream recycling system, which means all accepted materials — paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, and glass — can go loosely together in your green cart. After collection, recyclables are sent to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where they’re sorted and prepared for reuse.

The following items can be placed in your green recycling bin (not bagged).

Paper & Cardboard

• White and colored paper (staples, paper clips, and spirals OK)
• Flattened cardboard boxes
• Paperboard (cereal or tissue boxes and paper towel rolls)
• Phone books and junk mail
• Magazines and catalogs
• Newspapers and inserts
• Paper bags
• Empty pizza boxes (minor oil stains OK)
• Books (remove hard covers)

Containers

• Aluminum cans, trays, and foil
• Stiff plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs
• Glass bottles and jars

That’s it! Keeping your recycling simple and clean helps ensure that every item gets a second life — and keeps Newton’s recycling program strong.

The City of Newton has partnered with HELPSY, a certified B Corporation with a mission to make clothing reuse and recycling easy, convenient, and impactful. Through this partnership, Newton residents can schedule free curbside pickup of unwanted textiles — including clothing, shoes, accessories, and linens — right from their homes. HELPSY is helping transform how we think about clothing donation. By keeping usable items out of the waste stream, they give textiles a second life through reuse, upcycling, or responsible recycling.

HELPSY bins are located outside Newton Public Schools and the Rumsford Resource Recovery Center. Textiles collected at these school locations generate funds for school sustainability projects and Green Captain staff stipends, supporting both environmental education and hands-on action.

Do you have questions about what you can recycle or where and to receive reminders about your curbside collection schedule?  Visit the City’s website to explore the Recycle Right app, a handy tool to help you recycle!

: