Somerville, MA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Section 11-40(d) governs how residential recyclables actually get collected, layered on top of the mandatory-separation duty in subsection (c). on pickup day. Containers must sit on the outer edge of the sidewalk so they don't block pedestrians. Materials can only go in authorized recycling receptacles, meaning a household recycling receptacle, a toter for multifamily buildings, or a textile recycling receptacle for clothing; plastic garbage bags are not an authorized container, and recyclables can't be mixed into the same barrel as rubbish or litter. If recyclables aren't separated from trash, the city can refuse to collect the rubbish entirely.

Once recyclables are placed at the curb for city or contractor pickup, subsection (d)(1)d makes them the property of the city, and anyone other than an authorized city agent who collects them commits a separate violation for each pickup location, plus owes restitution for their value. There's a narrow carve-out: someone who collects bottle-bill containers redeemable under state law without using a motor vehicle isn't subject to a fine or restitution for taking those specific items. Commercial and nonprofit establishments follow a parallel but separate track under subsection (d)(2), placing designated materials in owner-supplied receptacles unless they pay the commissioner's per-receptacle fee for city pickup.