Medford, MA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must separate
- Every recipient of city solid waste service
- Enforcement approach
- Education first, then refusal to collect
- Scavenging
- Only city-authorized collectors may take set-out recyclables
- Program purpose
- Reduce refuse sent to landfills/incinerators (§ 70-41)
Summary
Medford requires every household and business that gets city solid waste service to separate recyclables from ordinary trash under City Code § 70-101. Section 70-7 bars anyone but city-authorized collectors from taking recyclables off the curb, and § 70-72 directs the Department of Public Works to enforce the recycling article through education first, stepping in only where noncompliance is clear.
No person shall remove from a sidewalk, way or the usual point of residential rubbish pickup, any materials specifically set apart from the ordinary household rubbish for the purpose of being recycled under the recycling program of the city, other than those persons authorized to pick up such material by the city or by the city recycling committee. ... Intent of city. It is the intent of the city to facilitate compliance with the provisions of this article through education and example rather than coercion. Accordingly, the enforcement provision of this article shall only be applied to those instances where it is clear that the violator is in noncompliance. ... It shall be mandatory for each recipient of solid waste services in the city to separate acceptable recyclable materials as described in section 70-41 from other refuse in accordance with the provisions of this article.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 70, Article II of the Revised Ordinances establishes Medford's recycling program 'to facilitate an effective recycling program in the city by reducing the amount of refuse sent to landfills and incinerators' (§ 70-41). Section 70-101 makes it mandatory for every recipient of city solid waste service, residential or commercial, to separate the acceptable recyclable materials listed in § 70-42, including aluminum, tin cans, glass containers, newspapers, yard waste and certain plastic containers, from other refuse. Section 70-72 sets the city's enforcement posture: the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works and staff, agents or contractors are directed to rely on education and example rather than coercion, applying the article's enforcement powers only where a resident is clearly out of compliance, with the primary tool being a refusal to collect improperly separated leaves or recyclables until they are fixed, rather than an automatic fine.
The program is also protected from scavenging: § 70-7 makes it unlawful for anyone except a person authorized by the city or the city recycling committee to remove materials set apart for recycling from a sidewalk, roadway, or the usual residential pickup point, closing off informal removal of cans, bottles or metal left at the curb for the city's program. Together these sections make separation a citywide requirement while leaving day-to-day enforcement to Department of Public Works discretion rather than police citation.
Violations & Fines
Failing to separate recyclables from trash under § 70-101 does not by itself trigger a fine; the Department of Public Works may refuse to collect improperly separated recyclables or leaves until a resident corrects the mistake, per § 70-72. Removing curbside recyclables without city authorization violates § 70-7 and can be referred for prosecution under the citywide general penalty, § 1-13.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recycling mandatory in Medford?
What happens if I do not separate my recyclables?
Can someone else take the cans I put out for recycling?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medford
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