Chelsea, MA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Chapter 22 of the Code of Ordinances defines 'bulk' in section 22-1 as any item that is, in whole or in part, a solid mass large enough to contain a sphere with an eight-inch diameter, and lists it among 'nonacceptable waste' alongside tree waste over six inches in diameter or 48 inches long, construction debris, industrial waste and abandoned vehicles. Nonacceptable waste is not covered by the city's routine curbside collection of 'acceptable' solid waste. Instead, section 22-60 puts the burden on the occupants of every single- or two-family home, the owner or agent of larger residential buildings, and the owner or operator of any business to remove nonacceptable waste, including bulk items, at sufficiently frequent intervals to prevent a nuisance, with the department of municipal inspections deciding what interval qualifies.

Section 22-61 adds that this waste must be stored, handled and placed for collection in a way that avoids creating a nuisance, and forbids leaving it on a public street without permission from the department of public works. Removal can be handled by a private collector licensed to operate in the city or by the owner personally hauling material to an authorized facility; either way, private haulers of bulk and other nonacceptable waste must still follow DPW rules and the applicable General Laws. Because bulk items fall outside the standard weekly pickup, residents who leave furniture, appliances or large tree limbs at the curb without arranging separate collection risk a nuisance violation, and the enforcement personnel listed for chapter 22, including police officers and DPW-designated agents, can act under section 22-3.