Chelsea, MA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- 7:00 p.m. day before collection
- Latest set-out
- 7:00 a.m. collection day
- Removal deadline
- 12:00 midnight of collection day
- Container protection
- tipping over containers is prohibited
- Governing law
- Code of Ordinances § 22-62(a)
Summary
Chelsea residents may not put solid waste containers at the curb before 7:00 p.m. the night before collection, must have them out by 7:00 a.m. on collection day, and must pull them back in by midnight, under Code of Ordinances § 22-62(a).
(a)Unless otherwise determined through the regulations of the department of municipal inspections, acceptable solid waste shall be placed in suitable containers at the outer edge of the sidewalk appurtenant to the premises of the occupant or owner not later than 7:00 a.m. on the day of scheduled collection, and not earlier than 7:00 p.m. of the day preceding the day of scheduled collection. Reusable solid waste containers shall be removed from the sidewalk after collection as soon as possible, but in no case later than 12:00 midnight of the day of scheduled collection.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26).
Full Breakdown
of the day before. Reusable containers must come back off the sidewalk after collection as soon as possible, and in no case later than 12:00 midnight of the collection day, so a container cannot legally sit at the curb for more than a single overnight cycle. to midnight-of-collection-day cycle. Section 22-62(c) separately bars anyone from willfully or maliciously tipping over or spilling the contents of a container holding rubbish, protecting containers once they are properly set out. m. 00 for a third, enforced by police officers, the department of public works and the department of municipal inspections under the enforcement authorization in section 22-3.
Violations & Fines
Setting containers out before 7:00 p.m. the night before collection, leaving them past 7:00 a.m. uncollected on pickup day, or failing to bring empty containers back in by midnight violates section 22-62(a). Chapter 22 violations fall under the general noncriminal fine schedule in section 1-8, running from $50.00 for a first offense to $300.00 for a third, enforced by police officers and DPW.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my trash cans out in Chelsea?
When do I have to bring my empty bin back in?
Is it illegal to knock over someone's trash can in Chelsea?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chelsea
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle bin placement rules.