Trash & Recycling in New Bedford, MA (2026)
7 verified trash & recycling rules for New Bedford, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
New Bedford requires trash and recycling containers to sit at the rear or side of the building between collection days, never in the front yard, under Code of Ordinances § 16-74(c)-(d). Containers may only go out at the curb, no more than five feet back, on the specific day and time the rules and regulations schedule per § 16-74(f) and the § 16-71 curbside definition.
New Bedford Trash and Recycling Bin Placement
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford Code of Ordinances § 16-74(c), (d), (f)
(c)Owners shall ensure that solid waste, recyclables, and other materials accumulated between collection days, are stored on the owners property. Said storage shall be located at the rear or side of owners building.(d)Solid waste, recyclables and other materials shall not be stored within the front yard of a building. In the event no other location exists on the property, storage of solid waste...
Bulk Item Disposal
New Bedford residents may set bulky items such as furniture, mattresses, white goods and CRTs curbside only on the collection day the director schedules or designates, per Code of Ordinances § 16-74(i). Items placed out early, on the wrong day, or generated outside the city violate § 16-79, and unlawfully placed material must be removed by the owner within 24 hours of notice.
New Bedford Bulky Item Curbside Collection
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford Code of Ordinances § 16-74(i)
(i)Customers who receive curbside collection of solid waste by the city or its contractor may place bulky items curbside, in accordance with the rules and regulations, on the day scheduled for collection or on the date designated by the director or his designee. Owners shall be responsible to ensure that bulky items are placed curbside only on the day and at the time specified in the rules and ...
Recycling Requirements
New Bedford requires every customer to separate recyclables from solid waste before collection under Code of Ordinances § 16-77, using materials the director designates for the City of New Bedford Curbside Recycling Program. The separation duty applies to all city property, including schools, whether or not the building actually receives city trash collection.
New Bedford Curbside Recycling Program Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford Code of Ordinances § 16-77
(a)Materials included in the City of New Bedford Curbside Recycling Program shall be designated in the rules and regulations, promulgated by the director.(b)Each customer shall separate from solid waste all materials included in the City of New Bedford Curbside Recycling Program, and shall ensure that solid waste is placed in a separate receptacle from recyclables, prior to collection. This req...
Illegal Dumping
New Bedford's litter-control ordinance bans dumping litter, garbage, or debris on streets, sidewalks, vacant lots, and private property. Section 12-47 makes any violation of the article a misdemeanor carrying a $250 fine, with each day a continuing violation counted as a separate offense, enforceable through non-criminal disposition under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40U.
New Bedford Illegal Dumping Penalties
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford, Mass., Code of Ordinances § 12-47
Unless otherwise specifically provided, any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in the amount of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). Violations of this ordinance may be enforced through non-criminal disposition as provided in M.G.L.A, c. 40U, § 21D and M.G.L.A, c. 40U. Violations proceeded aga...
Yard Waste Collection
New Bedford picks up yard waste and brush curbside only during the seasons the city sets, and only in approved containers, under Code of Ordinances § 16-74(j)-(k). Yard waste goes in paper bags or barrels, never plastic bags, while brush must be bundled to no more than 4 feet long, 2 feet wide and 4 inches thick per § 16-71.
New Bedford Yard Waste and Brush Collection
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford Code of Ordinances § 16-74(j)-(k)
(j)During yard waste collection season, customers who receive curbside collection of solid waste by the city or its contractor shall place their yard waste curbside in an acceptable yard waste container, in accordance with the rules and regulations, on the day scheduled for collection. Owners shall be responsible to ensure that yard waste is placed curbside only on the day and at the time desig...
Dumpster Rules
Any containerized roll-off unit over five cubic yards placed on a New Bedford public way requires a permit from the commissioner of public infrastructure under Code of Ordinances § 16-82. The written application must state the exact location, the container's volume, the hauling company's contact information, and how long it will sit there, per § 16-83.
New Bedford Roll-Off Container Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford Code of Ordinances §§ 16-82—16-83
No person shall place containerized units of over five (5) cubic-yard capacity on any public way or way to which the public has the right of access without obtaining a permit, as hereinafter provided, from the commissioner of public infrastructure. Every application to place a containerized unit of over five (5) cubic yard capacity on any street or public way or way to which the public has a ri...
Collection Schedule
New Bedford's Department of Facilities and Fleet Management sets and publicizes a regular schedule for solid waste and recyclables collection under Code of Ordinances § 16-76(a), attached to the department's rules and regulations. Every owner of an eligible one- to six-family residence must provide receptacles and keep trash stored and disposed of in a sanitary manner under § 16-74(a)-(b).
New Bedford Residential Trash Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford Code of Ordinances § 16-76(a)
(a)The city shall maintain regular schedules of solid waste and recyclable collection, as determined by the director, and shall publicize the schedules by all appropriate means. Said schedules shall be included as an attachment to the rules and regulations.
Looking for Bristol County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement New Bedford city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Bristol County →