Programs and Helpful Tips
Tips and ways to be more sustainable in Wakefield.
Jump to:
- Sustainable Energy Resources
- Weatherization, Heat Pumps, and More
- Recycling, Composting, and other Waste Reduction
- Land Use & Outdoors
- Sustainable Transportation
Sustainable Energy Resources
- Wakefield is an Energy Stretch Code Community (71/2021). Note: Effective on 7/1/2024, Wakefield will become a Specialized Energy Code Community
- Read about the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department’s Solar Rebate Program
- Participate in the Kenneth Chase Community Solar Program through WMGLD.
- Use Google Earth imagery to analyze your roof shape and local weather patterns to create a personalized solar plan.
- Watch Sustainable Wakefield’s presentation on how you can add solar to your house
- If you aren’t going solar yourself, you can buy green energy with Green Choice program through WMGLD
- Compare quotes from solar installers online by using Energy Sage
- Business owners: WMGLD Commercial solar rebate opportunities and financing available.
Weatherization, Heat Pumps, and More
- Learn how electric heat pumps can provide heating and cooling, the importance of weatherization for your home or business, and the incentives that will be available for both.
- Weatherization and energy tips
- Heat Pump resources and rebates from WMGLD
- Wi-Fi thermostat rebate from WMGLD
- Sense home energy monitor (rebate available from WMGLD) detects devices in your home based on their unique electrical signature – online presentation from Oct ’20
- Business owners: WMGLD Commercial Energy Efficiency program
Recycling, Composting, and other Waste Reduction
- Sign up for curbside composting with Black Earth Compost through a town discount – and when the town reaches 500 participants, the price will drop even lower!
- Guide to what can be recycled curbside through the town recycling collection
- Easy-to-follow guide to recycling
- Educational content and games about recycling
- Online quiz to test your knowledge on what is and is not ok to recycle
- Watch this brief video
- For a deep dive, watch the recording of the Recycling Myths Busted presentation to the town by Sustainability Director Gretchen Carey
- Recycle your clean cardboard and your scrap metal at the Nahant Yard Waste site
- Yard Waste disposal at the Nahant site and curbside
- Five easy tips to reduce waste at your next event!
- Simplify the holidays to reduce waste
- Wakefield recently passed by-laws prohibiting restaurants and retailers from distributing plastic bags, single-use straws/stirrers/utensils, and Styrofoam packaging
- Textiles are not allowed in the trash collection and can be recycled curbside or dropped off for recycling around town.
- Mattresses and box springs are not allowed in trash collection and can be recycled via HandUp
- Manufacturer and retailer take-back programs
- Donate used books to the Friends of Beebe Library annual book sale
- Other resources for hard-to-recycle items
- Check the Beyond the Bin guide
- Small CFL bulbs: Home Depot in Reading
- Rechargeable batteries: Home Depot in Reading
- Plastic pots (the flimsy kind you purchase plants in): Lowes in Danvers
- Plastic wrap, film, and bags: various stores including Target in Stoneham (search)
- Technology, ink, toner, rechargeable batteries, and shredded paper can be recycled at Staples in Reading
- Car seats and boosters seats annually through Target event
- Beer can holders: Hopothecary Ales in North Reading, Lord Hobo Brewing Company in Woburn, Granite Coast Brewing in Peabody (search)
- Mercury products: DPW at Nahant Street Yardwaste Site on certain dates
- Hazardous Waste: DPW at certain events
- Medication: CVS and Walgreens, as well as bin in the lobby of Public Safety building when reopened
- Sharps / needles
- American Flags – deposit in bin in lobby of Town Hall for proper retirement
- Wakefield also has several recycle/reuse Facebook groups for passing along goods you no longer need or searching for items: Buy Nothing Wakefield and Wakefield Residents Recycle Group.
- Bring a water bottle with you – there lots of places to fill them including the Beebe Library and the playgrounds and fields around Lake Quannapowitt
- Check out Massachusetts’ environmentally preferable products list (note: this is meant for govt contracts)
- MA Reuse and Repair programs
- Borrow useful household items from the Beebe Library's Library of Things or the Melrose Lend & Mend Library of Things
- Encourage kids in school to compost and participate in food rescue! Check out this great video WCAT made of our food rescue and compost program in schools
Land Use & Outdoors
- Tips on sustainable landscaping
- Leave the leaves
- Plant native pollinators and skip these prohibited plants
- Consider planting trees: learn more about the benefits and read about Wakefield's CommuniTree program
- Find and swap seeds through the Seed Library at Wakefield's Beebe Library
- Purchase a rain barrel through the DPW's annual rain barrel sale in the spring
- WMGLD provides a rebate on electric lawn equipment
- Local land use info
- Wakefield’s Conservation Commission with information on wetlands and land use
- Map of the area with visual of Wetlands
- BioMaps has interactive maps about habitats and land protection
- Wakefield's 2005 Open Space and Recreation Plan is full of great local info about our open spaces
- Learn about the role of forests in fighting climate change
- Trails and outdoor recreational activities around Wakefield
- Maps via All Trails
- Volunteer for the Trail Steward Program through the Conservation Commission to help protect and preserve Wakefield's trails and open spaces.
- Walking routes in town – see Mass in Motion list of maps
- Learn about wetlands and waterways
- See benefits of urban greenspace
- Wakefield Master Plan – the Metropolitan Area Planning Council is facilitating the process for Wakefield covering many topics
- Community Garden at JJ Round Park (applications open each spring for a garden plot)
Sustainable Transportation
- Public transportation in Wakefield includes the following options:
- Commuter Rail with stops at Greenwood and Wakefield Stations
- 137 Bus
- MBTA Youth Pass Program
- Electric Vehicles:
- Electric vehicle rebate program through WMGLD
- Electric charging stations in town including downtown (Lincoln St lot), Civic Center, Shaw’s, Veterans Park, Gertrude Spaulding Park (Lowell St.), Edgewater office park (searchable map)
- Massachusetts rebates through MOR-EV
- Bike resources, bike paths, and bike-safe streets in town:
- Safe Streets Wakefield group
- Tri-Community Greenway
- Wakefield Lynnfield Rail Trail project
- Bike racks are around town including Veterans Field, the Lower Common, the lot of the Public Safety building, and the town lot at Lincoln St (map)
- All schools are members of Safe Routes to School
- Consider carpooling