Brockton, MA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 8-3.3
- Set-out window
- 5:00 p.m. day before to 7:00 a.m. collection day
- Early set-out fine
- $25 (§ 8-3.6)
- Late set-out fine
- $100 first offense, $300 repeat (§ 8-3.6)
- Chronic-abuser threshold
- 5 violations per calendar year
Summary
Brockton requires all waste streams (trash, recycling, yard waste, bulky items, holiday trees) to be curbside, off the street, no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day before pickup and no later than 7:00 a.m. on collection day. Noncompliant or late set-outs need not be collected.
For collection by the City of Brockton or its contractor, solid waste, recyclables, yard waste, bulky items and holiday trees shall be placed at the curb but off the street in appropriate containers as provided for in section 8-3.2. Solid waste, recyclables, yard waste, bulky items and holiday trees shall be placed so as not to obstruct passage on sidewalks or public ways. No person shall place or cause to be placed, solid waste, recyclables, yard waste, bulky items or holiday trees for collection on any street, sidewalk or other public place prior to 5:00 p.m. of the day before or later than 7:00 a.m. of the day of their regular collection day. The City of Brockton or its contractor need not pick up solid waste, recyclables, yard waste, bulky items or holiday trees that do not conform with section 8-3.2 or that are not placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. of a regular collection day.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
2, and positioned so they do not obstruct passage on sidewalks or public ways. of the collection day itself. of the scheduled day. 4: solid waste and bulky items are collected weekly year round from all premises except commercial, industrial and multifamily buildings over five units; recyclables run biweekly year round; yard waste is weekly from May 1 to June 30 and November 1 to December 15, and biweekly from July 1 through October 31. 5 and require 48 hours' advance notice rather than following the standard weekly cycle.
Violations & Fines
Materials set out before the 5:00 p.m. day-before cutoff draw a $25 fine under § 8-3.6. Materials left at the curb after the regular collection day draw a $100 fine for a first violation within a calendar year, rising to $300 for each subsequent violation that year, with every day of noncompliance counted as a separate offense. A resident with five violations in a calendar year may be deemed a chronic abuser and can have trash collection service revoked.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brockton
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