Nashua, NH Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Nashua Revised Ordinances Chapter 270, Solid Waste
- Set-out rule
- Trash and waste may be set out only per Board of Public Works rules
- Why
- To ensure recycling of waste with market value or that cannot be landfilled
- Scavenging
- Picking over or removing curbside material is prohibited
- Bulky waste and metal
- Handled under separate Board of Public Works policy
- Landfill hours
- Closed 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. weekdays, and all day Sundays and legal holidays
Summary
Nashua requires trash and recyclables to be set out only under rules set by the Board of Public Works, and it is illegal to pick through or take anything already placed at the curb.
A. In order to provide for recycling of classes of trash and waste which have an established market value or cannot be used in the sanitary landfill, no person shall place or leave, or cause to be placed, trash or waste material of any kind in any place or on any property for collection except in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Board of Public Works.
B. No person shall use any municipal sanitary landfill in the City except for the purpose of dumping, and no person shall pick over or carry away any substance which has been placed at curbside for collection or deposited in any municipal sanitary landfill.
C. No person shall place or leave or cause to be placed or left in or near any dwelling house, barn, shed, store, shop or cellar any substance that is or is liable to become putrid or offensive or injurious to the public health.
D. The collection and disposal of materials such as bulky waste and metal items shall be handled according to the policies as outlined by the Board of Public Works.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4805762; v29 updated 2026-02-10; through 02-10-2026).
Full Breakdown
Nashua handles curbside collection through Chapter 270 of the city code, with the operating detail delegated to the Board of Public Works rather than written into the ordinance itself. Section 270-10(A) frames the rule around recycling: so that classes of trash and waste with an established market value, or that cannot go into the sanitary landfill, are recycled, no one may place or leave trash or waste of any kind out for collection except in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Board of Public Works.
That means the specific containers, sorting and schedule come from Board policy, and the ordinance is what makes following that policy mandatory. Section 270-10(B) separately bans scavenging: no person may pick over or carry away any substance that has been placed at curbside for collection or deposited in a municipal sanitary landfill. Section 270-10(D) leaves bulky waste and metal items to Board of Public Works policy as well, so those are handled outside the normal curbside stream. on weekdays, and nothing at all on Sundays and legal holidays.
Violations & Fines
Setting material out other than in accordance with Board of Public Works rules violates section 270-10(A), and picking over or removing material already placed at the curb violates section 270-10(B). Chapter 270 carries its own violations and penalties provision at section 270-18. Because the operating rules are set by Board policy rather than in the ordinance text, check the current Board of Public Works regulations for the container and schedule requirements that apply to your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Nashua trash collection rules actually written?
Can someone take items from my curb in Nashua?
How does Nashua handle bulky items and scrap metal?
When is the Nashua landfill open?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashua
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Pickup Rules & Schedules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle pickup rules & schedules.