New Bedford, MA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Section 16-82 requires a permit before placing any 'containerized unit,' the ordinance's term for a covered, vandal-resistant steel refuse container with a lockable hinged lid, exceeding five cubic yards on any public way or way the public has a right to access. The commissioner of public infrastructure, not the director of facilities and fleet management who runs routine trash collection, issues and administers these permits under § 16-72(c). Section 16-83 spells out what the written application must include: the exact location where the container will sit, its volume, the name and contact information of the company supplying it, and the length of time it will remain at that location.

The permit requirement applies specifically to units placed on the public way, meaning a roll-off kept entirely on private property doesn't trigger § 16-82, though it would still be subject to the general storage rules in § 16-74 if solid waste is involved. Because the commissioner of public infrastructure administers this permit separately from the facilities and fleet management director's general solid waste authority, § 16-84(b) specifically designates the commissioner, rather than the health director, as the enforcing officer for violations of §§ 16-82 and 16-83.