Starting in July, before you toss that old couch or mattress to the curb, check your calendar. Facing a fiscal year when every penny counts, North Branford is notifying residents of a cutback in bulky waste curbside pick-ups.

Effective July 1, 2017, curbside bulky waste service for North Branford residents will take place once a month, instead of once a week. Residents should plan for bulky waste pick-up to take place the second full week of each month, on their regular trash and recycling pick-up day within that week.

The weeks scheduled for monthly bulky waste pick-up for the remainder of 2017 are: July 10 – 14, August 14 -18, September 11- 15, October 9 – 13, November 13 -17 and December 11- 15.

Town Manager Michael Paulhus said the town has been making an effort to get the word out to residents so that they will be prepared for the change. The service begins in July as part of North Branford's new fiscal year (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018) and as a result of costs worked out as part of a new contract with John's Refuse & Recycling of Northford.

The town has always paid an additional monthly charge for bulky waste collection; now, that charge will be dramatically reduced. With the new contract, the savings gained by switching from once a week to once a month will add up, as Town Councilwoman Rose Marie Angeloni noted at the council meeting on June 20.

"To stay 'as is' [once per week] it was going to be $9,600 a month extra on the bulky waste; and going to once a week, it went to $4,000 more a month. Even though it was an increase, it's a savings," said Angeloni.

Bulky waste is described by the town as tree limbs, tree branches, scrap wood, rugs (all which must be less than four feet long, no thicker than four inches, and bundled and tied); couches, mattresses, box springs, picnic tables and wooden furniture. Scrap vehicle parts are not accepted.

More information on what to throw away, recycle or leave out for bulky waste collection curbside is available on the town website here