Each Middlesex County municipality runs its own curbside collection. Cambridge, Somerville, and Newton use Pay-As-You-Throw or standardized carts with weekly pickup.
Middlesex County has no county trash service. Each of the 54 cities and towns contracts or operates its own solid waste program under MGL c.21H and the state Solid Waste Master Plan. Cambridge collects weekly using 65 or 96-gallon carts with mandatory curbside composting. Somerville offers weekly trash and recycling with biweekly yard waste. Newton, Waltham, Medford, and Lowell use either standardized carts or Pay-As-You-Throw bag programs. Arlington, Belmont, and Winchester contract with private haulers. State waste bans under 310 CMR 19.017 prohibit disposal of cardboard, metal, glass, single-resin plastic, yard waste, electronics, and since November 2022 any load exceeding one-half ton of food waste. Set-out times are usually after 5:00 p.m. the evening before or by 7:00 a.m. on collection day.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County has no operational county government - it was abolished July 11, 1997 under M.G.L. c. 34B - so there is no countywide noise ordinance. Massa...
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County treats persistent barking as a nuisance. Animal control handles complaints. Dog licensing required statewide (MGL c.140 §155).
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County has no unified leaf blower ordinance. Regulations are set by individual cities and towns such as Cambridge, Newton, Arlington, and Lexington...
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. Weight and size limits apply. Overnight storage of heavy trucks prohibited.
Middlesex County, MA
Driveway rules are set by each Middlesex County city or town zoning bylaw. Cambridge, Somerville, Lowell, and Framingham regulate curb cuts, width, paving, a...
Middlesex County, MA
Winter parking bans are the dominant rule across Middlesex County. Most cities prohibit overnight on-street parking from November through April to allow snow...
See how Middlesex County's pickup rules & schedules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.