Hubbardston board presses haulers for recycling data, approves one-month dumpster cleanup using recycling funds

At its May meeting the Town of Hubbardston Board of Health said it will ask local trash haulers for clearer quarterly reports that include recycling tonnage and final destinations, and it approved using recycling-account funds to pay for a one‑month construction dumpster to clear a buildup of roadside waste at the Department of Public Works.

Board members said they received a report from Waste Management showing 56 customers in town but lacking any recycling breakdown. The board discussed recurring noncompliance by another hauler, Republic, which has failed to provide timely reports in recent years. Members asked that future quarterly submissions include both tonnage and where material is taken for disposal or recycling.

The board discussed holding a hauler’s permit until required lab results were submitted; staff noted one hauler’s permit would be withheld until an E. coli/coliform water result was provided. That administrative hold was described during the meeting.

On motion of a member, seconded by another, the board voted to allocate money from the recycling balance to rent a construction dumpster for one month to allow DPW crews to remove accumulated bulky roadside material. The board said tires and an electronics‑filled trailer that DPW has collected will be addressed separately; members will seek quotes from local haulers and Templeton Salvage to dispose of tires and electronics.

The board also reminded residents that its regular metal‑recycling event is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; volunteers and the public were encouraged to bring mixed metal items (no oil or gasoline in tanks).