Trash & Recycling in Medford, MA (2026)
7 verified trash & recycling rules for Medford, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Medford's Department of Public Works sets exact placement rules for household trash under City Code § 70-4. Receptacles must sit at the sidewalk's outer edge without blocking foot traffic, and residents cannot set them out before 7:00 p.m. the evening before the scheduled collection day. Section 70-5 requires a DPW-authorized container and limits cardboard bundles to 50 pounds, flattened and tied.
Medford Trash Placement and Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances §§ 70-4, 70-5
All receptacles containing ashes or rubbish shall be placed on the outer edge of the sidewalk, and shall be placed in such a manner; so that the free flow of travel on the sidewalk is not obstructed thereby. No such receptacles containing ashes or rubbish shall be placed on the sidewalk earlier than 7:00 p.m. of the day immediately preceding the day appointed by the city for the collection of t...
Bin Placement Rules
In the City of Medford, Massachusetts, Section 70-4 of the Revised Ordinances requires ash and rubbish receptacles to sit on the outer edge of the sidewalk without blocking foot traffic, and bars putting them out before 7:00 p.m. the evening before the city's scheduled collection day.
Medford, MA Trash Receptacle Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances § 70-4
Sec. 70-4. - Placement of receptacles. All receptacles containing ashes or rubbish shall be placed on the outer edge of the sidewalk, and shall be placed in such a manner; so that the free flow of travel on the sidewalk is not obstructed thereby. No such receptacles containing ashes or rubbish shall be placed on the sidewalk earlier than 7:00 p.m. of the day immediately preceding the day appoin...
Recycling Requirements
Once Medford signs a contractor or begins direct city collection, City Code § 70-103 makes separating aluminum, tin cans, glass, newspapers, yard waste and certain plastics mandatory for every recipient of solid waste service. Section 70-104(c) leaves the exact preparation and collection schedule to rules the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works issues under the recycling article.
Medford Curbside Recycling Program Requirements
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances §§ 70-103, 70-104
The separation of aluminum, tin cans, glass containers, newspapers, yard waste and plastic containers, as defined in section 70-42, by recipients of solid waste services shall be mandatory upon the initiation of a curbside recycling program in the city, as signified by the signing of a contract between the city and a contractor for provision of such services, or direct provision by the city for...
Illegal Dumping
Medford bans dumping in any public or private dump of animal or vegetable material that could breed rodents, flies or vermin, of anything the board of health deems obnoxious by odor or dust, and of any rubbish, trash or refuse at a site not approved under state law. Using a registered vehicle to haul dumped material is also banned, and the vehicle's registration record stands as prima facie evidence against the registered owner.
Medford's Illegal Dumping Ban, Sec. 38-33
Heavy RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances § 38-33
No person shall deposit in any dump, public or private, any animal or vegetable material, or other material which shall become a breeding place for rodents, flies or vermin. No person shall deposit in any dump, public or private, any material which by reason of odor, dust or putrefaction, or otherwise, shall be deemed to be an obnoxious material by the board of health. No person shall use as a ...
Yard Waste Collection
Medford requires leaves to be kept separate from other household refuse under City Code § 70-102, and during the city's leaf collection season residents must bag them in paper lawn bags or open barrels, not plastic, per § 70-104(a). Skip the separation and the city can simply stop collecting the rest of a household's trash.
Medford Leaf and Yard Waste Separation Rules
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances §§ 70-42, 70-102, 70-104
Leaf collection season means the period during the calendar year during which leaves are collected for recycling/composting at curbside or otherwise in the city. Paper leaf bag means any brand of kraft paper or equivalent, 30-gallon capacity, self-supporting, square-bottomed, two-ply, 50-pound wet strength, biodegradable paper bag. ... The separation of leaves from other refuse by recipients of...
Dumpster Rules
Every dumpster placed on residential or commercial property in Medford needs a Health Department permit under Sec. 6-113, which carries a separate rodent-control fee the City Council sets and reviews every three years. Permit holders must file an integrated pest management plan, updated annually, before the health department issues the permit, and noncompliance can mean revocation and fines up to $300 per day.
Medford Dumpster Permits and Rodent Fee
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances §§ 6-113, 6-120
Sec. 6-113. - Permits for dumpsters. (a)All permits issued by the Health department for dumpsters on residential and commercial property will be subject to a separate fee designated for rodent control. Such fees are to be set by the Medford City Council and reviewed every three years. Dumpsters associated with building projects for which the building permit rodent control fee has been assessed ...
Recycling Rules
Medford requires every household and business that gets city solid waste service to separate recyclables from ordinary trash under City Code § 70-101. Section 70-7 bars anyone but city-authorized collectors from taking recyclables off the curb, and § 70-72 directs the Department of Public Works to enforce the recycling article through education first, stepping in only where noncompliance is clear.
Medford Mandatory Recycling Separation Rules
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances §§ 70-7, 70-72, 70-101
No person shall remove from a sidewalk, way or the usual point of residential rubbish pickup, any materials specifically set apart from the ordinary household rubbish for the purpose of being recycled under the recycling program of the city, other than those persons authorized to pick up such material by the city or by the city recycling committee. ... Intent of city. It is the intent of the ci...