Worcester County, MA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Worcester County has no recycling program because county government was abolished in 1998 — each municipality runs its own. The City of Worcester operates single-stream curbside recycling through the Department of Public Works & Parks, collecting paper, cardboard (broken down), glass, metal cans, and plastics #1-#7 bearing a recycling symbol on alternating weeks paired with yard waste seasonally. Residents use Worcester-provided blue recycling bins or toter carts. Contaminated bins (plastic bags, food waste, Styrofoam, tanglers like hoses and cords) get a rejection tag and are not collected. Massachusetts has aggressive MassDEP Waste Bans (310 CMR 19.017) banning disposal of recyclables and since November 2022 also banning mattresses and textiles in trash. The MassDEP Solid Waste Master Plan targets 30% reduction by 2030 and 90% by 2050. Fitchburg, Leominster, Gardner, Shrewsbury, and other towns have comparable single-stream programs. The Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) provides regional recycling coordination. Multi-family properties over 4 units in Worcester must provide recycling under municipal rules. Rural towns using transfer stations require sorted recycling separated into paper, cardboard, glass (by color), aluminum, and plastics.