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1. How do I dispose of bulk items that won’t fit into a bag?

Bulk items (large items such as furniture, carpet, mattresses and box springs, baby cribs, etc) can be scheduled directly with E.L. Harvey and Sons for pickup. Each residence gets three free scheduled bulk pickups per year. Any additional cost is at the discretion of E.L. Harvey. Any bulk item that fits into a PAYT bag can be placed at curbside in an official bag. Your PAYT bag must be able to close. For customer service or to schedule a bulk item, call E.L. Harvey directly at 800-321-3002.

Bulk items are combustible and non-hazardous.

Additional fees apply for items such as light iron, white goods, freon items, CRTs and monitors.

2. Can I hire my own hauler and choose not to participate in the PAYT program?

Yes. A resident may choose their own hauler at any time. However, there will not be a tax reduction by doing so since trash/recycling pickup is currently built into the tax base for residents.

3. How do I keep animals out of my trash?

That is a concern with any bag. Possible suggestions are to put your trash out on the day of your collection or to put your bags into a barrel.

4. Can we put the bags into our trash barrels?

Yes. The town encourages residents to use a trash barrel; you will just need to put your trash in an official Grafton bag before placing it in a barrel. You can also just place your trash in an official bag on the curb.

5. Is there a limit to the amount of items I can recycle?

No. The town encourages residents to recycle as much as they can as it will help the environment. The more you recycle, the fewer bags you will need to purchase and the more money you will save. EL. Harvey provides one recycling toter per household, additional toters may be acquired by contacting EL. Harvey at 800-321-3002. Recycling must be in an EL. Harvey toter; drivers will not get out of the trucks to collect recycling placed in a separate bin/barrel.

6. Will there be any changes to the recycling program?

No, since the goal of PAYT is to increase recycling, there will be no additional charge for recyclables put out for collection. Grafton collects recyclables curbside on a biweekly basis.

7. How many PAYT bags are residents able to put out each week?

There is no limit on the amount of PAYT bags. Each residence controls how much they want to spend for their trash disposal. When you recycle more and discard less trash, you will pay less.

8. How will the Town deal with offenders?

The Town will regularly monitor areas that historically have dumping issues. The Town encourages all residents to report offenders to contact either the police department or Town Hall at 508-839-5335. The Town also urges residents to engage the cooperation of their neighbors for the success of this program.

9. What if I don’t use the proper bag?

Any trash that is left on the curb that is not in an official Town of Grafton trash bag will not be picked up. However, the town reserves the right to pick up trash that is not removed from the curbside in a timely manner, and it will be picked up as a bulk item charged at the expense of the property owner. Repeat offenders will be subject to additional fines. See Chapter 270 - Crimes Against Public Health.

10. How much money could the town save with the implementation of PAYT?

The Town is estimating a 20% overall reduction in trash disposal costs with the PAYT program.

11. How much does recycling cost the Town?

The Town pays for the hauling cost of recycling, but does not pay for the disposal of recycled materials.

12. How much does trash cost to collect and dispose of?

Last year Grafton paid over $500,000 in disposal fees to dispose of 6,100 tons of trash at the Wheelabrator incinerator in Millbury, MA. Grafton's collection of curbside trash and recycling is additionally about $500,000 a year.

13. Why is the Town implementing PAYT?

To help offset the cost associated with providing trash collection. These revenues will help maintain the same level of municipal services. The additional benefit of PAYT is that it increases recycling rates. 

14. What is Pay As You Throw?

Pay As You Throw (PAYT) is a system by which you pay for the trash you dispose. PAYT allows each household to control its volume of trash disposal. PAYT encourages recycling - when you recycle more and discard less trash, you will pay less. PAYT has been implemented by more than 125 communities in Massachusetts including Worcester, Sutton, Upton, Northborough, West Boylston, and Shrewsbury.