Chelsea, MA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Section 22-24 of the Code of Ordinances bars any person from throwing, discarding, placing or depositing litter 'in any manner or amount' on public or private property within Chelsea, except in containers or areas the city has lawfully set aside for disposal, and separately prohibits dumping except at a time and place approved by the department of municipal inspections. The section includes an evidentiary shortcut aimed at illegal dumping from cars and trucks: if litter is traced to a specific vehicle, proof that the defendant was the registered owner of that vehicle at the time creates a presumption in evidence that the owner committed the violation, shifting the burden to the owner to rebut it.

The ordinance also reaches businesses that generate foot traffic, such as fast food outlets, shopping centers, convenience stores and supermarkets, requiring them to provide and regularly empty containers that meet standards set by the department of municipal inspections. Anyone distributing handbills, leaflets or flyers must take measures to keep that material from becoming litter. 00 for a third under the noncriminal disposition table in section 1-8. Each day a dumping violation continues, or each separate act, counts as its own offense under the general chapter 22 penalty in section 22-2, so a large illegal dump site can generate multiple counts.