Northampton’s new ReCenter at the Glendale Road Transfer Station (170 Glendale Road, Florence) will open to the public on Saturday, April 25 from 8-11:30 am. While ReCenter membership will be required for admittance after April 25, it is not required on opening day to allow community members to see the new facility. Transfer Station stickers will be required for all normal transfer station activity at the site.
The goal of the ReCenter is to promote reuse by capturing useful items from Northampton’s waste stream, reducing the amount of material finding its way into distant landfills or local incineration facilities. Northampton ReUse Committee volunteers and supportive members of the local business community have worked diligently over the last twelve months renovating the site, which formerly housed Solid Waste Solutions’ landfill management office.
The ReCenter will operate a take-it-or-leave-it “swap shop” where members may deposit unwanted household items in working order for others in the community to take free of charge. But the ReCenter has a zero waste twist unique to swap shops: to reduce the amount of trash generated, they will accept only those items for which secondary outlets have been identified or those that may be dismantled into recyclable parts. The ReUse Committee plans to expand ReCenter services over time, providing repair and “maker” workshops to teach skills and methods to further foster reuse and resourcefulness in the Greater Northampton area.
ReCenter membership has been added to the list of transfer station sticker benefits for Northampton residents. New membership may be attained by purchasing either a transfer station sticker ($25, means-based discounts available) or a special annual ReCenter sticker ($10). The ReCenter sticker is intended for residents of neighboring communities and Northampton residents and non-profits who do not want access to transfer station services (e.g. the SMART trash program and free food waste composting). Both stickers will be available for sale at city transfer stations and from the Department of Public Works at 125 Locust Street (date avail?).
Going forward, the ReCenter will be open Saturday mornings from 8-11:30 AM.