Although it may not seem like it this week, spring is right around the corner! And with the change of seasons, there will be some changes at the New Fairfield Drop Off Center. We have heard from residents who would like to make use of the Drop Off Center, but are not able to get there on Saturdays or Tuesdays during regular business hours. As a result, we are going to begin a pilot program on March 15, opening the DOC from 4:00 – 7:00 on Thursday evenings in addition to established Saturday and Tuesday hours. If evening hours prove to be popular and DOC use increases, we will make these hours permanent.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Drop Off Center, located at 33 Bigelow Road, it is a safe, convenient, low-cost facility to get rid of trash, brush, and items you no longer want or use. To use the Drop Off Center, apply for a disposal permit from the New Fairfield Department of Health, either online ($12.00) or in person ($10/$5 for seniors) at Town Hall. With a permit, some items can be disposed of free of charge, but most items carry a small charge, paid at the time of disposal. For example, a 13 gallon bag of household waste can be disposed of for $1.50/bag and a 30 gallon bag for $3.00. To encourage recycling, the charge for a 13 gallon bag contained recyclable material is $1.00/bag with a 30 gallon bag costing $2.00. Recycling is done on a single stream basis, meaning you can mix paper, plastics, metals, cardboard, etc. together in a single bag. Other items accepted at the DOC include mattresses, electronics, florescent bulbs, tires, empty propane tanks, brush, old appliances used motor oil and demolition materials. A full list of the types of materials the Drop Off Center will take – and the charges for them — is available on the town website (Newfairfield.org->Center of front page under News and Events).

With a permit from the Town, New Fairfield residents can also pick up wood chips (created from the brush accepted at the Center) and a sand and salt mixture (no more than 2 five-gallon buckets at a time) for use on your property in the winter. The Drop Off Center also has an organics recycling program, which it runs in conjunction with The Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority. You can sign up at the Drop Off Center and pick up the bucket there to store your food scraps. Cost to participate is $1 per bucket disposed at the Drop Off Center. The food scraps are sent offsite and turned into mulch. Participation in the program entitles you to free mulch once a year from the Drop Off Center – one of the best kinds of mulch to use on a vegetable garden. Further information on this program is also available through the link on the front page of the town website.

Currently, the DOC is open from 8:00AM – 3:45 Saturdays and Tuesdays.   Beginning March 15, the DOC will be open on Thursdays from 4:00 – 7:00 PM. For more information, the phone number at the DOC is 203-312-5677.

– Pat Del Monaco, First Selectman