Norfolk County, MA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- County Rule?
- None: municipal program
- State Waste Bans
- 310 CMR 19.017
- Plastic Bags
- Not curbside: grocery drop-off
- Yard Waste
- Banned from trash statewide
- Single-Stream
- Most Norfolk County towns
Summary
Norfolk County does not administer recycling. MA has strong state waste bans (310 CMR 19.017) enforced statewide. Single-stream recycling is standard across Norfolk County municipalities.
Materials Currently Banned from Disposal or Transfer for Disposal in Massachusetts: Asphalt pavement, brick and concrete; Cathode ray tubes; Clean gypsum wallboard; Commercial food material (lower threshold effective November 1, 2022); Ferrous and non-ferrous metals; Glass, metal, and plastic containers (bottles, cans, jars, jugs and tubs); Lead acid batteries; Leaves and yard waste; Mattresses (effective November 1, 2022); Recyclable paper, cardboard and paperboard; Textiles (effective November 1, 2022); Treated and untreated wood and wood waste (banned from landfills only); White goods (large appliances); Whole tires (banned from landfills only; shredded tires acceptable). [...] Generator & Hauler Compliance Assistance - Both organizations that generate solid waste and those that transport it to disposal facilities are responsible for complying with the Massachusetts waste bans. Businesses and property managers should encourage waste reduction, provide for recycling, and ensure that employees and tenants don't throw away items that landfills and combustion facilities are prohibited from accepting for disposal.
Full Breakdown
Recycling in Norfolk County operates at the municipal level but is strongly shaped by state waste bans under 310 CMR 19.017. Banned from trash disposal: cardboard, paper, glass containers, metal cans, single-resin plastics, yard waste, leaves, electronics, CRTs, white goods, mercury products, mattresses, textiles, and (for large generators) food waste. Most Norfolk County towns use single-stream curbside recycling accepting paper, cardboard, glass, metals, and plastics #1, #2, and #5 (per post-2019 market conditions). Plastic bags are NOT curbside recyclable anywhere in Norfolk County, take to grocery drop-offs. Food waste composting programs exist in Brookline, Dedham, and other progressive towns.
Violations & Fines
No county enforcement. Contaminated bins may be tagged and skipped. Repeat contamination: $25-$100 municipal fine. MassDEP waste ban violations at facility level: up to $25,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are typical penalties for violating recycling requirements rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk County
Compare Norfolk County to another location·View the Massachusetts trash & recycling overview
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