Board extends bid deadline to Feb. 10 for curbside trash and recycling RFP

The Town of Blackstone Board of Health voted to extend the return date for the curbside trash and recycling invitation to bid from January 20 to February 10 after multiple prospective contractors asked for additional time. The extension was intended to allow bidders to prepare more accurate proposals as the town transitions from dual-stream to single-stream recycling.

Board members and staff reported that three companies had submitted questions and asked for more time; a fourth company later contacted the town and also expressed interest. A staff member said she would consolidate answers into a single document and send that to the contractors and that she would email the companies the board’s decision to extend the deadline.

Discussion at the meeting focused on operational details the bidders asked about and on resident outreach for a program change. Staff and board members said the town plans to limit curbside containers to a single 95-gallon tote per household under the new single-stream model. Any additional municipal solid waste beyond that limit would be handled at the recycling center using a sticker program for extra bags; residents would be expected to bring excess materials to the recycling center rather than placing additional containers at the curb. Board members emphasized the need for resident education using mailers, the town website and the town’s Facebook page to explain the change.

Why this matters: Changing collection from dual-stream to single-stream affects residents’ curbside practices, container sizes, and where excess material may be taken; the extension aims to give bidders time to price and plan for the service change.

Provenance: topic began in the agenda under "Discussion regarding invitation to bid for curbside trash and recycling" and concluded with the board vote to extend the deadline.