Taking action to make Melrose a Greener, Cleaner Place to Live, Work, and Play—

Join the Keep Melrose Beautiful Community-wide Cleanup on Saturday, November 2nd, 9 am - 12 noon! 

Please sign up for a particular location on behalf of any group, neighborhood, club, family, individual, etc.

Get into the spirit of the season with a Halloween and fall décor and costume swap on Tuesday, October 1. The free event will be held at The Worklery’s co-working and art space at 441 Main Street, 3rd Floor, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Drop-off for items ends at 7:30 p.m.

Co-hosted by Zero Waste Melrose, this themed swap will repurpose costumes for kids and adults and autumn adornments for the home.

Everyone is welcome to share the bounty — there’s no need to drop anything off. Attendees can bring only these categories of items to the swap:

• Tabletop – serving dishes, dinnerware, mugs, glasses, linens

• Indoor fall & Halloween décor and knick-knacks

• Door decorations

• Pumpkin-carving tools

• Lights – must work

• Small porch and yard decorations – max height 36”. No inflatables.

Please limit all “gives” to clean, dry, and gently used items that can fit in one shopping bag with a maximum weight of 20 lbs. If you’re not sure if an item’s condition is suitable for the swap, a good litmus test is whether you’d give the item to a friend. If the answer is no, don’t bring it to the swap. These guidelines on size/quantity ensure items fit in the available space and that Zero Waste Melrose volunteers can manage any leftover items.

ZWM is a volunteer group with a 25+ year history of reducing waste in Melrose through initiatives and education, including regular swap events. As a community-focused business, The Worklery regularly shares its space for local events, including swaps that promote reuse and connection.

Saturday drop off recycling events for special items are held at the DPW Recycling Center at 72 Tremont Street from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. tel: (781) 665-0142

City of Melrose Calendar + Special Events Calendar

Metal items include: washers, dryers, refrigerators, exercise equipment, air conditioners, grills, snow blowers, hot water heaters, microwaves, as well as sectionals, sleeper sofas, recliners, and other furniture that has a metal base.

The fee to drop off is $25 per piece (ex., 1 washer is $25 and 1 dryer is $25 for a total of $50).

Options to pay are:

• online with a credit/debit card by visiting https://epay.cityhallsystems.com/ and be sure to bring proof of payment with you on the drop-off day,

• in person at the DPW Public Works Operations Facility (checks or cash only) during office hours M-F 8 am - 3:30 pm - bring proof of payment with you on the drop-off day, or

• on the drop-off day with cash or check.

The Melrose Farmers’ Market opens on Thursday, June 6 for the 2024 season.

GOOD STUFF TO KNOW IS BELOW:

The Melrose Farmers Market doubles SNAP dollars (up to$10/weekly)!

You can also purchase fruits and vegetables directly from our HIP (Healthy Incentives Program) authorized vendors using your EBT card. The amount of sale will be automatically (and instantly) reimbursed. Melrose Farmers’ Market has 3 HIP-authorized vendors: Oakdale Farms, Moonlight Farm and Dick’s Market Gardens.

See the Melrose Farmers’ Market website for more details. https://melrosefarmersmarket.org

Zero Waste Melrose will be at the market collecting hard-to-recycle plastics for the TerraCycle program. Gather your empty toothpaste tubes, old toothbrushes, Brita water filters, and Dunkins’ coffee bags to bring to the market for collection. Visit ZWM’s website for more information about the program.

Taking action to make Melrose a Greener, Cleaner Place to Live, Work, and Play

Keep Melrose Beautiful is a volunteer-led organization that is working to clean up and green up our city in partnership with Melrose Solid Waste and Recycling, and other groups such as Zero Waste Melrose and the Ell Pond Improvement Council. 

On May 18 from 9am - 12noon, we will sponsor a Community-wide Cleanup as part of the Great Massachusetts Cleanup.

Follow us on Facebook!

Get Involved With Keep Melrose Beautiful

We are currently seeking donations from Melrose's generous business community.  Specifically, we are seeking supplies and cash donations to help offset the cost of cleanup supplies and other expenses.  

In addition to financial support, we are actively seeking committee members and volunteers to help organize ongoing projects. If you are interested in getting involved, please email us at keepmelrosebeautiful@gmail.com to join our committee, sign up as a volunteer, or donate.

Thank you!

Saturday drop-off recycling events for special items are held at the DPW Recycling Center at 72 Tremont Street from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. tel: (781) 665-0142

City of Melrose Calendar + Special Events Calendar

The City of Melrose - City Government, State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian, and organizations local to the City and across the Commonwealth, are bringing the 3rd annual Recycling & Sustainability Day to Melrosians. This unique hub allows you to consciously practice spring cleaning while making a difference and learning how to further your sustainability initiatives.

At the Melrose Recycling & Sustainability Day event, you can:

• Recycle your old dehumidifier and receive a rebate from National Grid;

• Sign up for a free home energy assessment with HomeWorks Energy;

• Explore household composting with Black Earth Compost; 

• Upcycle bikes and participate in a bike swap with the Melrose Pedestrian & Bicyclist Committee;

• Get bike tune-ups with The Ride Cafe;

• Dispose of hard-to-recycle plastics through Zero Waste Melrose's TerraCycle program (see more info below);

• Visit with Friends of the Fells;

• Explore volunteer opportunities with local organizations such as the Melrose Energy Commission;

• and more! 

Participants can:

• Upcycle gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, and building materials with Habitat for Humanity; and

• Recycle outdated electronics with peace of mind for proper data erasing with Green Team Junk Removal

With no fee per car, upcycle up to 2 pieces of gently used furniture, electronics, clothing, housewares, etc.

Fees apply for: TVs ($20), computer monitors ($20), window ACs ($10), printers/fax machines ($8), mattresses ($45), box springs ($45), and tires ($12). Many more items accepted!

Also, Green Team Junk Removal will collect Styrofoam - $10 for a full large bag; $5 for a half-bag.

Stop by Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian’s table to donate non-perishable food, new and gently used clothing, and toiletries to Bread of Life.

But wait - there’s more!

Save these items to drop for recycling at this special Recycling & Sustainability Day.

• Personal care packaging: All brands of deodorant containers & caps, toothpaste tubes & caps, floss containers, and toothbrushes (remove excess product). And, product packaging from brands Acure, Bliss, Beekman 1802, Burt’s Bees, Kate Somerville, Josie Maran, Tula, and Weleda

• Razors & packaging: All brands of blades & razors (including disposable units and replaceable-blade cartridge units) and rigid plastic and flexible plastic packaging

• Contact lens packaging: All brands of single-use blister packs, contact lens cases, and contact lens solution caps (no bottles)

• Drink pouches (not juice boxes): All brands, the straw can remain in

• Squeeze pouches with screw tops on: All brands of fruit, veggie, and yogurt squeeze pouches. Please include the screw top to keep our collection clean.

• Brita brand filters, pitchers, dispensers, bottles, and faucet systems

• Late July brand chip bags

ZWM ships these items to TerraCycle, which offers recycling programs funded by manufacturers, retailers, and other companies. The items we collect are not accepted in curbside recycling.

• This event is brought to the community by Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian and the City of Melrose.

Lend and Mend is hosting a Repair Cafe at the Milano Center

Sunday, April 21 from 10:00am - 1:00pm
Milano Center - 201 W Foster St Melrose, MA 02176

All are welcome, you do not have to be a Melrose resident to attend.

1. New Location: The Milano Center is graciously providing the venue. Their staff will even be assisting with the event, and they will be offering tours and answering questions about the wonderful programming they offer for seniors. Special thanks to Erica at the Milano Center for all the support and coordination!

2. New Flow: We will be trying out a different check-in system with the hope of encouraging a fairer, clearer queueing process for participants.

If you would like to volunteer, either as a repair expert or as a general volunteer, please feel free to fill out this survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBMHTCW

If you are bringing a broken item, feel free to tell us about it here (so we can better prepare our supplies and volunteers for the event) - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B89H2WF

Saturday drop-off recycling events for special items are held at the DPW Recycling Center at 72 Tremont Street from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. tel: (781) 665-0142

 City of Melrose Calendar + Special Events Calendar

Join us for (mini) Swap Day focused on women’s jewelry and accessories!!

More about this event:

• Swap Day is a community reuse event where everything is free. People can drop off items and/or take items. You don't have to bring something to take something, and vice versa. Think of it as a free tag sale, or in-person version of Buy Nothing / Everything is Free Melrose.

• This Galentines Day version will focus on specific items ONLY. See list on the event flyer picture. Due to space limitations and the theme, swappable items will be limited both in type and volume.

• Our goal is a zero-waste event. At the end of the event, volunteers take extra items to various non-profits or Savers to prevent as much as possible from going into the trash.

• This edition of Swap Day is 100% volunteer-organized and managed by Zero Waste Melrose and The Worklery.

  
  

Lend and Mend is hosting a Repair Cafe this weekend!

Sunday, January 21 from 10:00am - 1:00pm
VFW Post 1506, 248 Main Street, Melrose

All are welcome, you do not have to be a Melrose resident to attend.

What is a Repair Cafe?

A repair cafe is a free community event focused on repairing things (together). Folks can bring broken household items like lamps, small kitchen appliances, small furniture, stuffed animals, and more! Volunteers are on hand to assess broken items and either perform a fix on the spot, or help make a plan for how and where to get them fixed.

How can I get involved?

- To volunteer, either as a repair expert or as a general event helper, please fill out this Volunteer Registration Form.

- If you have a broken item, let us know about it! We'd love to get a sense of what folks are bringing to make sure we have the right volunteer coverage.  Please fill out the broken item survey here.

- Spread the word and share with your friends!

Let's make Melrose clean, green, and litter-free!

Saturday, November 4, join volunteers from Keep Melrose Beautiful to pick up litter across Melrose as part of the Great Massachusetts Cleanup.

Starting at 9 am, Keep Melrose Beautiful volunteers will be at the following locations to distribute supplies (garbage bags, reusable gloves, trash grabbers) and check-in volunteers.

• City Hall Lawn

• Ell Pond (behind the Knoll)

• Flagg Acres 

• Franklin Street Municipal Lot (near La Qchara)

• Lincoln School

• Melrose Common (across from Common Market)

Please separate trash into black garbage bags and recyclables into clear bags or paper bags. Recyclable beverage containers should be relatively clean and free of liquid. When in doubt, put dirty or questionable items in the trash.

By 12 noon, leave trash bags and recyclables at the locations listed above. Melrose DPW will collect the trash and volunteers will collect the recyclables. If you choose not to bring the collected trash back to the location where you checked in, please add the items to your personal weekly trash and recycling pick-up. Please under no circumstances bring any trash to the DPW.

Pumpkin Composting
Saturday, November 4, 2023

Annual Pumpkin Composting Event in partnership with Black Earth Compost

Join Melrose DPW to create healthy soil from pumpkins and save them from the waste stream! NO paint, glitter, hairspray, bleach, or petroleum jelly on the pumpkins. And remember to remove any candles and wax.

Saturday events for special items are held at the DPW Recycling Center at 72 Tremont Street from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. tel: (781) 665-0142

City of Melrose Calendar + Special Events Calendar

July 9: Repair Cafe | VFW Post 1506 248 Main Street | 10am - 1pm

Save the date for Melrose's first Repair Cafe!

Sunday, July 9, 2023, 10am-1pm at VFW Post 1506, 248 Main Street, Melrose

All are welcome, you do not have to be a Melrose resident to attend. 

What is a Repair Cafe?

A repair cafe is a free community event focused on repairing things (together). Folks can bring broken household items like lamps, small kitchen appliances, small furniture, stuffed animals, and more! Volunteers are on hand to assess broken items and either perform a fix on the spot, or help make a plan for how and where to get them fixed. See lend-mend.com/events for more event details. Hope to see you there!

How can I get involved?

- To volunteer, either as a repair expert or as a general event helper, please fill out this Volunteer Registration Form.

- If you have a broken item, let us know about it! We'd love to get a sense of what folks are bringing to make sure we have the right volunteer coverage.  Fill out the broken item survey here.

- RSVP to the Facebook Event, and share with your friends!

Feel free to reach out to LendAndMend@gmail.com with any questions.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on July 9th!

Cheers,

Elaina Rivais

Founder and Owner,

Lend and Mend LLC

June 29: Zero Waste Melrose at Melrose Farmers’ Market | 1pm - 6pm

Zero Waste Melrose will be at the Melrose Farmers’ Market on Thursday, June 29. We will be collecting hard-to-recycle plastics for recycling through TerraCycle’s program. Bring your Brita filters, old toothbrushes, empty contact lense packs, and more. Check the link above for more information.

Swing by for a chat!

Saturday drop off recycling events for special items are held at the DPW Recycling Center at 72 Tremont Street from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. tel: (781) 665-0142

City of Melrose Calendar + Special Events Calendar

Metal items include: washers, dryers, refrigerators, exercise equipment, air conditioners, grills, snow blowers, hot water heaters, microwaves, as well as sectionals, sleeper sofas, recliners, and other furniture that has a metal base.

The fee to drop off is $25 per piece (ex., 1 washer is $25 and 1 dryer is $25 for a total of $50).

Options to pay are:

• online with a credit/debit card by visiting https://epay.cityhallsystems.com/ and be sure to bring proof of payment with you on the drop-off day,

• in person at the DPW Public Works Operations Facility (checks or cash only) during office hours M-F 8 am - 3:30 pm - bring proof of payment with you on the drop-off day, or

• on the drop-off day with cash or check.

Paper Shredding Event
Saturday, May 20, 2023

Saturday drop off recycling events for special items are held at the DPW Recycling Center at 72 Tremont Street from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. tel: (781) 665-0142

City of Melrose Calendar + Special Events Calendar