Revere's Trash & Recycling: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles trash & recycling a little differently. In Revere, Massachusetts, there are 9 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Holiday Pickup Schedule

Revere allows overflow trash at curbside only on the first collection after six named holidays, and lets residents drop overflow trash at the city yard on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.

Key details: Overflow curbside weeks: 6 holiday weeks per year. Holidays covered: New Year's, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas. City yard drop-off: 2nd and 4th Saturday, monthly. Container at city yard: Sturdy plastic bags or suitable container. Extra dates: DPW Superintendent may add more.

Overflow trash placed at curbside on a week that is not one of the six designated holiday weeks (or another week specifically designated by the DPW Superintendent) is not authorized for collection and will not be removed, per Section 8.06.070(D). Overflow material must still be contained in a proper receptacle under Section 8.06.020(C); loose or uncontained overflow trash placed at curbside is a violation enforced by the Department of Inspectional Services under Section 8.06.070.

Bulk Item Disposal

Revere requires an e-permit before curbside pickup of bulky items or white goods, or a fee-based drop-off at the city yard on the second and fourth Saturday of the month.

Key details: Permit required: E-permit for bulky items and white goods. Permit deadline: 2 hours before close of business, day before. City yard drop-off days: 2nd and 4th Saturday, 7 a.m.-noon. Specialty items drop-off: Last Saturday only, 7 a.m.-noon. Senior discount: Available for age 60+.

Setting out a bulky item or white good without the required e-permit, or on a day other than the scheduled date, is not authorized under Section 8.06.060(A) and (C) and will not be collected. Placing construction debris for curbside collection or at the city yard violates Section 8.06.060(G). Failing to notify the Department of Inspectional Services when using a private hauler for bulky items, white goods, yard waste, or specialty items, per Section 8.06.060(J), may result in a fine.

Collection Schedule

Revere issues one trash cart per unit and limits curbside placement to a narrow window: no earlier than 3 p.m. the day before pickup and no later than 7 a.m. on collection day, per a DPW-set schedule.

Key details: Earliest curbside setout: 3:00 p.m. day before collection. Latest curbside setout: 7:00 a.m. on collection day. Cart return deadline: End of day following collection. Cart ownership: Remains property of the city. Carts issued: One per residential unit, 6 units or fewer.

Placing a cart out before 3:00 p.m. the day before pickup, after 7:00 a.m. on pickup day, or leaving it at the curb past the day following collection violates Section 8.06.030(D). Enforcement runs through the Department of Inspectional Services and the Revere Police Department under Section 8.06.070, with penalties assessed through the city's noncriminal disposition process in Chapter 1.12. Uncovered or improperly positioned carts also violate Section 8.06.030(E).

Recycling Requirements

Revere makes curbside recycling mandatory for all properties, requires a city-issued brown bin, and refuses to collect a bin containing non-recyclable or improperly prepared material.

Key details: Participation: Mandatory for all properties, unless exempted. Bin supplied: One brown recycling bin per unit. Method: Single stream, no plastic bagging. Contaminated bin: Not collected at all. Scavenging: Prohibited without DPW authorization.

A recycling bin containing disqualifying or improperly prepared material simply will not be picked up, per Section 8.06.040(E); repeated noncompliance is enforced by the Department of Inspectional Services under Section 8.06.070 through the noncriminal disposition process in Chapter 1.12. Unauthorized scavenging of set-out recyclables violates Section 8.06.041(C).

Compared to other cities, Revere takes a harder line on recycling requirements. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Bin Placement Rules

Revere requires trash receptacles to sit near the rear or side yard, out of public view, and secured against animals between collections, and bans leaving trash bags directly on the ground. Carts may go to the curb no earlier than 3 p.m. the day before pickup and must be pulled back by the end of the following day.

Key details: Storage location: Rear or side yard, out of view. Ground bags: Prohibited unless DPW-authorized. Curb set-out window: 3:00 p.m. day before to 7:00 a.m.. Cart pickup deadline: End of day after collection. Responsible party: Owner or condo association, non-delegable.

Placing a trash bag on the bare ground instead of in an approved receptacle violates Section 8.06.020(B), and leaving a cart at the curb past the day after collection, or setting it out before 3:00 p.m. the prior day, violates Section 8.06.030(D). Enforcement runs through Section 8.06.070 and the noncriminal disposition procedure in Chapter 1.12, Article III, adopted under M.G.L. c. 40U, and the owner or condominium association, not the tenant, remains legally responsible even under a lease that tries to shift the duty.

Yard Waste Collection

Revere collects yard waste curbside twice a month from April through November, but only if it is separated from trash and recycling and bagged in paper or open plastic barrels.

Key details: Season: April through November only. Frequency: Twice per month. Approved containers: Paper bags or open plastic barrels. Prunings size limit: Up to 4 ft long, up to 3 in. diameter. Commingling: Prohibited with trash or recycling.

Yard waste commingled with regular trash or recyclable materials, or set out in a container other than a recyclable paper bag or open plastic barrel, is not eligible for the collection described in Section 8.06.060(E) and will not be picked up. Setting out yard waste outside the April-through-November collection window, or outside the twice-monthly schedule set by the Department of Public Works, likewise falls outside the authorized service.

Illegal Dumping

Revere bans throwing or placing dirt, filth, garbage, rubbish, shavings, refuse or waste of any kind into any street, public place, catch basin, sewer drain or drainage ditch. Violators face the city's general penalty of up to $300 per offense under Section 1.16.010, with each day a dumping condition continues counted as a separate offense.

Key details: Prohibited conduct: Dumping waste in streets, catch basins, drains. Maximum penalty: $300 per offense (Section 1.16.010). Continuing violation: Each day is a separate offense. Enforcement track: Noncriminal disposition, Chapter 1.12. Appeal venue: Clerk, Chelsea District Court.

A first dumping citation under Section 8.04.030 carries the general penalty ceiling of $300 under Section 1.16.010, and every additional day the dumped material remains counts as a new offense, so cost accumulates quickly for anyone who ignores a citation. The city may pursue the charge through the noncriminal disposition track in Chapter 1.12, letting a cited party pay the assessed sum to the city clerk or contest it before the Clerk of the Chelsea District Court.

Dumpster Rules

Revere Municipal Code Section 8.04.011 requires any dumpster or compactor exposed to public access or view to sit inside a four-sided enclosure, fence, facade, or screen that blocks physical and visual access. Watertight, rodent-proof, tight-fitting covers are also mandatory, with penalties running under Chapters 1.12 and 1.16.

Key details: Enclosure required: 4-sided fence, facade, or screen. Exemption: dumpster fully inside a building. Container covers: metal, watertight, rodent-proof. Applies to: businesses and residences alike. Penalty range: up to $500 per offense.

Property owners face the general penalty framework in Chapters 1.12 and 1.16: a default fine of up to $300 per offense under Section 1.16.010, or, if pursued through noncriminal disposition, $25 to $500 per offense under Section 1.12.190, escalating to $500 if a demand letter goes unpaid. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Revere requires trash to be stored in a rodent-proof, watertight receptacle near the rear or side yard until curbside pickup, and bans placing bagged trash on the ground without department authorization.

Key details: Receptacle standard: Watertight, rodent-proof, tight-fitting cover. Placement: Near rear or side yard, out of public view. Loose bags on ground: Prohibited without DPW authorization. Responsible party: Owner or condo association, non-delegable. Enforcement: Dept. of Inspectional Services, Ch. 1.12.

Violations of the storage requirements in Section 8.06.020 are enforced by the Department of Inspectional Services, with the Revere Police Department retaining general enforcement authority under Section 8.06.070. Penalties follow the noncriminal disposition procedure of Chapter 1.12, citing M.G.L. ch. 40U Section 1 et seq. The owner or condo association, not the tenant, bears responsibility for compliance, and enforcement can reach any dwelling or commercial interest that violates Sections 8.06.020 through 8.06.060.

The Bottom Line

Revere's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Revere is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Revere's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.