Trash & Recycling in Somerville, MA (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Somerville, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Somerville requires refuse to be set out no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on collection day, with one weekly pickup. Barrels can't exceed 50 pounds or 64 gallons, and empty cans must be off the sidewalk by 7:00 p.m. The Department of Public Works enforces the schedule under Code of Ordinances § 11-31.
Somerville Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances § 11-31(g)
(g) Time of placement. All refuse shall be placed upon the sidewalk not earlier than 4:00 p.m. of the day prior to collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on collection day. Additionally, all empty cans and lids will be removed from the sidewalk by 7:00 p.m. the day of collection. There will be one collection day weekly. If refuse is placed out for collection after 7:00 a.m. and the collector ha...
Bin Placement Rules
Somerville residents must hold refuse at the curb until 4:00 p.m. the day before pickup and have it out by 7:00 a.m. on collection day under Code of Ordinances Sec. 11-31(g). Containers can't top 50 pounds or 64 gallons, and empty barrels must leave the sidewalk by 7:00 p.m. on pickup day.
Somerville Trash Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances § 11-31(g)-(h)
(g) Time of placement. All refuse shall be placed upon the sidewalk not earlier than 4:00 p.m. of the day prior to collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on collection day. Additionally, all empty cans and lids will be removed from the sidewalk by 7:00 p.m. the day of collection. There will be one collection day weekly. If refuse is placed out for collection after 7:00 a.m. and the collector ha...
Bulk Item Disposal
Somerville won't pick up bulk items as ordinary rubbish. Anything over 75 pounds, too large for one person to handle, or on the code's list, like auto parts and appliances, needs different handling under Sec. 11-31(l), and large appliances need a white-goods sticker from the DPW before they hit the curb.
Somerville Bulk Item Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances § 11-31(l)
(l) Bulk items. (1) Bulk items shall not be deemed to be acceptable rubbish. A bulk item shall be defined as any item so large or heavy that one man could not reasonably handle it, any item over 75 pounds or anything in the following categories: a. Auto parts, such as generators, starters, air-cleaners, auto seats, wheel rims, or small pieces of body metal, but not to include large pieces of bo...
Recycling Requirements
Somerville residents must set recyclables out using the same timing as trash, in authorized recycling containers only, never bagged in plastic or mixed with rubbish. Once placed curbside under Code of Ordinances § 11-40(d), recyclables become city property and taking them is a punishable offense.
Somerville Curbside Recycling Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances § 11-40(d)(1)
(d) Collection of recyclable materials. (1) Residential dwellings. a. The preparation and placement of recyclables shall be accomplished in accordance with the requirements relative to time of placement for refuse as stated in subsection 11-31(g). b. All recycling containers and receptacles shall be placed for collection on the outer edge of the sidewalk, so as not to obstruct the free passage ...
Illegal Dumping
Somerville bans dumping ashes, building material, yard debris, food waste or any other rubbish, filth or offensive matter, liquid or solid, in catch basins, streets, sidewalks, parks or other public places. Violations are fined $50.00 per offense, enforced by police and health inspectors.
Somerville Illegal Dumping On Public Property
Some RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances § 12-3
No person, unless thereto duly authorized by ordinance, or by permission of the city council or of the commissioner of public works, shall drop, place, or throw and allow to remain, or cause to be dropped, placed, or thrown, and allowed to remain, in or on any catch basin, street, sidewalk, park, or other public place; any ashes, cinders, glass, crockery, scrap iron, nails, tacks, stones, grave...
Yard Waste Collection
Yard waste like tree trimmings, hedge clippings and grass must be cut to no more than three feet, tied in secure bundles, and set out in paper leaf bags or barrels marked with department-issued 'yard waste' stickers. Somerville defines and regulates the material under Code of Ordinances § 11-31.
Somerville Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances § 11-31(j)
Yard waste/debris means grass clippings, weeds, hedge clippings, garden waste, and twigs and brush not longer than three feet in length. ... (j) Yard waste/debris. Yard waste/debris such as tree trimmings, hedge clippings and similar materials shall be cut to a length not exceeding three feet and shall be securely tied in bundles before being set out for collection or disposed of in either pape...
Dumpster Rules
Somerville requires a Board of Health license for every dumpster of 75 gallons or more, at $100 per unit per year, renewed each June 30. Dumpsters must sit on pavement, stay locked between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., and cannot be emptied between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Violators face a $50 daily fine.
Somerville Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsCity of Somerville, Regulations for the Removal or Transportation of Trash, §§ 2.1, 2.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.11, 6.4
No dumpster shall be used or kept in the City of Somerville after July 1, 1998, unless application is made to the Board of Health and a license is issued by the Board allowing the use of such dumpster... The fee for a dumpster license shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00) per dumpster... All dumpsters shall have tight fitting lids, doors or covers, shall be kept covered when not in actual use ...
Collection Schedule
Buildings with seven or more units that want city trash pickup pay $150 per unit annually under Sec. 11-35, and every one of Sec. 11-31's timing, placement and container rules applies just as it does to single-family homes. Owners must use city pickup, a licensed private hauler, or a licensed disposal site, no other option.
Somerville Trash Rules for Larger Buildings
Some RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances § 11-35(a)-(c)
(a) All dwellings of seven or more units desirous of having their refuse, as defined in section 11-31, collected by the city shall be subject to a fee of $150.00 per unit payable annually in advance. All of the definitions, time, place and manner restrictions and limitations regarding household trash and rubbish collection, as set forth in section 11-31, shall apply to such dwellings. (b) It is...
Recycling Rules
Somerville requires every owner and occupant, residential or commercial, to separate designated recyclable materials from trash under Code of Ordinances § 11-40, regardless of whether the building uses city refuse collection. The commissioner of public works oversees the program and sets which materials must be separated.
Somerville Mandatory Recycling Program Rules
Some RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances § 11-40(c)
(c) Mandatory separation of recyclable materials. It shall be mandatory for each owner or occupant in Somerville to separate all designated recyclable materials from other refuse in accordance with the provisions of this section. These mandatory recycling requirements shall apply to all buildings without regard to whether the building's solid waste is collected by the city. (1) Buildings which ...