Boston, MA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Residential buildings with more than 6 units
- Placement distance
- Within 350 feet of a building exit
- Cart size
- 30 to 90 gallon weatherproof containers
- Compliance deadline
- 30 days after Coordinator's notice
- Fee status
- Carts exempt from §§23-2/23-11 permit fees
- Enforcement
- Commissioner and Inspectional Services Department
Summary
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.
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 from the Recycling Coordinator, shall provide access to the recycling programs and services of the city by installing and maintaining an adequate number of recycling carts in a common area of the premises and within a reasonable proximity not to exceed 350 feet from a point of egress of a large residential building and as close as practicable to the current waste/trash removal dumpsters or containers for the large residential building.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Current through Ordinance 2025 C. 14, passed 11-5-2025).
Full Breakdown
2 as any residential building with more than six units. " The Section defines a RECYCLING CART as any container from 30 to 90 gallons, made of weatherproof material, clearly marked for recyclables, the Department's own term for these is "toters", and carts installed under this program are specifically exempted from the permit fees that would otherwise apply under §§ 23-2 and 23-11. If installing carts is impracticable, the owner must contact the Recycling Coordinator to get an alternative approved, which can include supplying a set-out container (a "blue box") to each individual unit instead.
4, submitting a detailed letter explaining why compliance isn't achievable and what steps were taken; the Commissioner must respond in writing within 30 days either directing specific compliance steps or granting the exemption, and that decision is appealable only to court. Buildings the city doesn't collect trash from at all are automatically exempt. 6.
Violations & Fines
Failing to place recycling carts within the required 350-foot proximity, failing to post or deliver the required recycling guide, or otherwise not complying with § 7-13A is a violation under § 7-13A.6. The Inspectional Services Department serves a notice of violation, and an owner can request a hearing within seven days; the hearing must start within 30 days of service, with the compliance clock stayed while the hearing is pending.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close to the building do recycling carts have to be in Boston?
What size are Boston's required recycling carts?
What if my building can't fit recycling carts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boston
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle bin placement rules.