What to do with Recycling, Trash, and Other Waste

Please use the recycle bins and the dumpster in the Distillery courtyard. Recycling and trash are both collected each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Thank you for contributing to a greener community by disposing of your household waste in the right places.

The guidelines for what can and can’t be recycled are the same as the City of Boston. Here are the details:

Recycling

Please put the following in the recycle bins:

📦

Cardboard:
Shipping boxes, cereal boxes, egg cartons, paper towel and toilet paper rolls.

Make sure everything is clean and dry. No waxy coatings, please.

🗞️

Paper:
Office paper, newspaper, paper bags, magazines, junk mail.

Everything should be clean and dry. Staples and envelope windows are OK. No books please! (Try donating them instead)

♻️

Plastic Bottles, Tubs, Jugs, and Lids:
Plastic drink bottles, milk jugs, yogurt cups, tubs and lids, and shampoo bottles.

Unfortunately, black plastic containers are not recycled in Boston.

Make sure everything is clean and dry. To save room in your bin, squish the bottles. Put the caps back on so they won’t slip through the cracks at the recycling plant. No bags or other plastics please! (Bags can often be returned to your local grocery store)

🥫

Metal Cans:
Soda and beer cans, soup and vegetable cans, foils

Should be clean, and dry. Ball up your clean foil. No miscellaneous scrap metal items please! (Take those to a scrap yard)

🍾

Glass Bottles and Jars:
Beer bottles, other beverage bottles, pickle jars

Should be empty, clean, and dry. No pyrex, ceramics, or window glass please! (Broken items belong in the trash; donate unbroken items)

What can’t be recycled 🚫🧦🪢🔋📠

Plastic shopping bags and black or white trash bags don’t go in the recycle bin

But you can recycle them at participating grocery and retail stores. Many stores have a bag collection bin in their entry area. Another option is to bring reusable bags when you shop. Do not put your recyclables in plastic bags, they will not be recycled.

Clothes and Textiles don’t go in the recycle bin. However, the city offers drop off locations and even curbside pick up (info here). There’s also a Goodwill up at 470 West Broadway.

Clothes Hangers, Rope, Hoses don’t go in the recycle bin

Styrofoam doesn’t go in the recycle bin

Batteries

Non-hazardous batteries (like AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) can be put in landfill trash, or recycled at a designated drop-off location.

Hazardous Batteries (Lithium-Ion, Rechargeable AA, AAA, C, D, 9V Ni-Cad, Lead Acid Automotive or Sealed). Please put tape on battery terminals and bring to a local retailer or one of Boston’s Household Hazardous Waste Day’s for proper and safe disposal.

Electronics

Bring your unwanted or broken electronics to our Household Hazardous Waste Days. You can also check the Boston Reuse and Donation Directory for local organizations that resell, donate, or recycle electronics. 

The recycling guidelines for The Distillery are the same as the City of Boston.

Landfill Trash:

The dumpster is for household trash. If the dumpster is full, please don’t leave trash next to the dumpster. Let management know and it will be emptied ASAP.

What shouldn’t go in the dumpster:

Any debris including wood, metal, furniture, paint, turpentine, chemical solvents, or any other refuse not normally found in an office wastebasket shouldn’t go in the dumpster. Tenants must make their own arrangements for safe disposal of such items.

Mattresses don’t go in the dumpster, but the city will collect them curbside if you place a 311 request.

Here’s the city’s helpful Waste Sorting Tool that says what to do with common items.

Compost:

Food scraps can be dropped off at the Project Oscar location at 450 West Broadway. (more info on this city program here)

Questions?

Email us with any waste management questions and we’ll get back to you soon as possible. Thank you!