Medford, MA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Mandatory once city signs a curbside contractor/service
- Covered materials
- Aluminum, tin cans, glass, newspaper, yard waste, plastics
- Who sets schedule
- DPW Commissioner by rule (§ 70-104(c))
- Enforcement tool
- City may refuse pickup of unsorted material
Summary
Once Medford signs a contractor or begins direct city collection, City Code § 70-103 makes separating aluminum, tin cans, glass, newspapers, yard waste and certain plastics mandatory for every recipient of solid waste service. Section 70-104(c) leaves the exact preparation and collection schedule to rules the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works issues under the recycling article.
The separation of aluminum, tin cans, glass containers, newspapers, yard waste and plastic containers, as defined in section 70-42, by recipients of solid waste services shall be mandatory upon the initiation of a curbside recycling program in the city, as signified by the signing of a contract between the city and a contractor for provision of such services, or direct provision by the city for such services. Such contract shall designate which of the above materials shall be separated from other refuse. ... Preparation and collection procedures. The preparation of acceptable recyclable materials and the schedule for their collection shall be accomplished in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by the commissioner of public works of the city under this article.
Full Breakdown
Medford's curbside recycling requirement is contingent, by its own terms, on the city actually running a program. Section 70-103 states that separating aluminum, tin cans, glass containers, newspapers, yard waste and plastic containers defined in § 70-42 shall be mandatory upon the initiation of a curbside recycling program in the city, as signified by the signing of a contract between the city and a contractor for provision of such services, or direct provision by the city for such services, and that contract shall designate which of the above materials shall be separated from other refuse.
In other words, the ordinance sets the framework and the list of eligible materials, but the specific materials actually collected curbside in a given year are fixed by the city's service contract, not the ordinance text itself. Section 70-104(c) then hands the operational details to the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works, stating that the preparation of acceptable recyclable materials and the schedule for their collection shall be accomplished in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by the commissioner of public works of the city under this article.
Section 70-72(b)(2) backs this with an enforcement lever: once a curbside program is signed and DPW regulations under § 70-104(c) are promulgated, the city may refuse to collect other acceptable recyclable materials that residents have not separated or prepared as required, until they are properly separated.
Violations & Fines
There is no fixed fine for skipping curbside separation under §§ 70-103 to 70-104. Instead, once a curbside contract or Department of Public Works rules under § 70-104(c) are in effect, § 70-72(b)(2) authorizes the city to refuse collection of improperly separated recyclable materials until a resident corrects the preparation, rather than issuing a citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which materials must I separate for Medford's curbside recycling?
Who decides Medford's recycling pickup schedule?
What happens if I put out unsorted recyclables?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medford
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