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1. How often is recycling?

Recycling is mandatory in Ipswich and is on the same weekly schedule as your trash pickup. Please put your recycling and trash at the curb by 6 AM on your trash day to ensure both will be picked up.

2. My trash was not picked up. What should I do?

Recycling is mandatory for trash pickup, so both must be at the curb by 6 AM. Also, make sure your trash is bagged and/or you haven't exceeded the one-barrel limit. 

If it's your usual trash day (and not a holiday), call the DPW at 978-356-6612. If it's a holiday week, your trash and recycling must be at the curb the following day by 6 AM.   

If you exceeded the one-barrel limit and did not put your extra trash in an official overthrow bag, you can purchase overthrow bags at the following stores in Ipswich: Aubuchon, Conley's Drug, Cumberland Farms, DJ's Variety, Richdale, Shaw's and Tedford's. Please remember that trash bags cannot weigh more than 50 pounds each.

3. Can I recycle plastic bags in my curbside bin?

No. Because they create safety hazards at the recycling facility, plastic bags (grocery, newspaper, bread, food and snack, produce, and dry cleaning bags) and plastic packaging (case, pallet, and furniture wrap; napkin, paper towel, diaper packaging wrap; and beverage case wrap) cannot be put in your curbside bin. 

Recycle them in the drop-off bins at grocery stores (Shaw's, Market Basket) and other retail outlets (Target, Lowe's, Kohl's, Walmart, Staples). They accept and recycle this plastic, even if you did not purchase it at their store.

4. Is there a weekly recycling limit?

Residents may put out unlimited recycling of accepted items, although the filled bin and/or container cannot exceed 50 pounds. Ipswich participates in single-stream recycling, so all recycling can be placed in the same container. Remember to recycle everything allowed. 

Large quantities of cardboard (emptied and flattened) should be brought to the cardboard dumpster at the DPW yard (100 County Road) at your convenience or to the transfer station (180 Town Farm Road) on Wednesdays or Saturdays from 8 AM to 3:30 PM.

Please call the DPW (978-356-6612) in advance if you will be putting out large quantities of recycling so we can alert the recycling crew.

5. How do the styrofoam and single-use plastic bag bans affect residents?

These bans apply to businesses, which will be offering alternatives to plastic bags and Styrofoam. Residents are allowed to use single-use plastic bags acquired from shopping in other towns, but we encourage residents to bring reusable bags when shopping. More information can be found here.