Shutesbury Plans 2028 Switch From Bags To Carts

Recycling & Solid Waste Outreach Sub-Committee · Meeting of October 2, 2026

Shutesbury's Recycling & Solid Waste Outreach Sub-Committee accelerated its timeline for switching from pay-as-you-throw bags to wheeled carts after haulers said they need more lead time. The town's recycling coordinator, identified in the meeting as Meryl, said the final RFP will now go out in April or possibly May of 2027, though the service start date stays July 1, 2028. Every household will get a default 35-gallon trash cart and 65-gallon recycling cart, with other sizes available through an opt-in process.

The group also began weighing the first-ever increase to the town's $2 pay-as-you-throw bag fee, which would require Select Board approval. A consultant advising the group, Susan, said "it wasn't my recommendation" regarding advice from another town on timing a price hike, and warned that larger haulers nationally prefer bigger carts with no overflow bags, "the antithesis" of trash-reduction goals. Hauler responses on cart logistics are due back in mid-October.

In the full story:

• RFP Timeline Accelerated to Meet Hauler Lead Times
• Standard Cart Sizes and the Opt-In Process
• Outreach Calendar: Election Day, Turkey Trot and Winter Public Meetings
• Messaging Strategy and Branding
• Pay-As-You-Throw Bag Price Increase
• Overflow Bags Versus Oversized Carts
• Accessibility Concerns for Long Driveways
• Town Meeting Funding and Next Steps
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,968 words

Source: the Recycling & Solid Waste Outreach Sub-Committee meeting of October 2, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.