Trash & Recycling in Boston, MA (2026)
6 verified trash & recycling rules for Boston, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Boston Code § 23-1 bars anyone but city employees or a city contractor from transporting refuse through the streets without a Public Works permit, and companion sections fix exact barrel dimensions and bar overfilled containers.
Boston Refuse Transportation and Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 23-1
No person, other than employees of the city or of a contractor acting for the city while engaged in public work, shall transport or carry refuse in, upon or through any street except in accordance with a permit from the Commissioner of Public Works, who shall forthwith revoke such permit if the permittee transports or carries to any refuse disposal incinerator constructed, maintained and operat...
Bin Placement Rules
Boston requires owners of residential buildings with more than six units to install recycling carts within 350 feet of a building exit under Code of Ordinances § 7-13A.3. Owners who can't site carts practically must get the Recycling Coordinator's approval for an alternative, like a set-out container per unit, or seek a formal exemption.
Boston Recycling Cart Placement for Large Buildings
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances §§ 7-13A.2, 7-13A.3
RECYCLING CART. Any container ranging in size from 30 to 90 gallons that is composed of weatherproof material such as plastic or metal and that is clearly marked and/or identifiable as a container for recyclables... RECYCLING CARTS are hereby specifically exempted from the fee and application provisions of Section 23-2 and Section 23-11. ... An owner, within 30 days of receipt of the notice fro...
Recycling Requirements
Boston's Code of Ordinances § 7-13.4 requires residents at premises the Commissioner designates to separate specified recyclables from other solid waste and place them in set-out containers at the curb for collection. Where curbside pickup isn't feasible for an area or building type, the Commissioner must develop an alternative recycling program instead.
Boston Curbside Recycling Separation Rule
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 7-13.4
7-13.4 Recycling Mechanisms. (A) On a schedule to be determined by the Commissioner, residential premises designated by the Commissioner shall separate specified recyclables from all other solid waste that they deposit at the curb or other pickup locations for collection and shall place said recyclables in set-out containers for collection. The Department shall arrange for the collection of all...
Illegal Dumping
Boston Code § 23-22 sets a volume-and-location fine schedule for illegal dumping under M.G.L. Chapter 270, Section 16, running from $100 for under a cubic yard in an unauthorized container up to $3,000 plus a Boston Environmental Strike Team referral for hazardous or toxic waste dumped anywhere in the city.
Boston Illegal Dumping Fine Schedule
Heavy RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 23-22
In the city, fines for violation of M.G.L. Chapter 270, Section 16, shall be determined based on volume, location and content subject to the following schedule. (A) Up to and including one cubic yard illegally dumped in an unauthorized container will be fined $100. Up to and including one cubic yard illegally dumped in a vacant lot or on a public way and or public property will be fined $250. U...
Dumpster Rules
Boston requires an annual Public Works Department permit for any dumpster of one cubic yard or more, in a public way or on private property: a numbered permit costs a $10 filing fee plus $2 per dumpster, and overflowing containers are separately prohibited under Code §§ 23-2, 23-9 and 23-10.
Boston Commercial Dumpster Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 23-2
No person shall, in or upon any way, street, alley or other public place within the city, nor in or upon any estate within the city, maintain a dumpster so-called, being a device used or intended for the storage of one cubic yard or more of trash, rubbish, construction debris or the like, unless the same is maintained agreeably to any regulation promulgated by the Commissioner of Public Works n...
Recycling Rules
Boston operates a mandatory residential recycling program under Code of Ordinances § 7-13.1, adopted under M.G.L. Chapter 40, Section 8H. Residents who contaminate their recycling with non-recyclable materials get two written warnings before the city stops collecting their recyclables under § 7-13.6, and collection resumes only once the Commissioner confirms compliance.
Boston Residential Recycling Program Rules
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances §§ 7-13.1, 7-13.6
7-13.1 Recycling Program Established. Pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 40, Section 8H, there is hereby established in the city a recycling program the requirements of which are set forth herein. ... 7-13.6 Enforcement and Incentives. (A) No residential owner who participates in the city's recycling program shall place non-recyclable materials in set out containers. The city may discontinue its pick u...