WESTFORD — The town is asking residents to weigh in on potential updates to its curbside trash collection system aimed at reducing waste, easing taxpayer costs, and improving long-term sustainability.
To address rising collection expenses, the town is considering a partial fee-based system and fully automated trash and recycling collection. Under Proposition 2½, collection and disposal costs have outpaced property tax revenue growth. Officials say these updates would make the program more efficient and equitable, especially for many residents who don’t use curbside services.
In October 2024, Westford conducted a public survey that received nearly 1,300 responses. The results showed that most households could fit their trash in a 35-gallon container.
The town implemented curbside collection changes on July 1, 2024, enforcing existing container size and volume limitations to help manage waste. The town is now asking residents whether these limitations have helped reduce household trash disposal each week.
Over the past year, town staff have worked with the Select Board and Westford Recycling Commission to explore a Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) program that would support waste reduction goals and ensure that the collection system is financially viable for the future.
The town is prioritizing waste reduction, enhanced service delivery and equitable cost distribution throughout the process. The goal is to reduce the amount of trash that enters the waste stream to lower environmental impact and taxpayer costs, improve efficiency through automated collection, and move away from manual collection, and finally, ensure the cost of waste collection is paid by those who use the service.
The recommended plan is a “hybrid PAYT” program, where each eligible household would receive one 35-gallon automated cart at no additional charge. For those households generating more trash, there are two other options: use overflow bags sold at local retailers for $2.50 to $3 each, or use a second 35-gallon cart available by subscription $180 to $240 per year.
If implemented, a portion of the program revenues or grants may be used to expand recycling and waste diversion programs, such as composting services or additional collection events.
The town says that after this survey, there will be further public discussions with the Select Board and Recycling Commission. The town will keep residents informed with any updates.
