How to get rid of old carpet and rugs in Massachusetts

Checked November 2026 · by JUNKRUN, Melrose MA

Not on the ban list

Flat illustration of a rolled and tied patterned rug lying on its side, with orange, teal and navy geometric motifs.

Short answer. Carpet is not on the state's waste ban list, so it can go out with the trash, but towns set the terms: rolled, tied, cut into short lengths and counted as a bulky item, usually with a fee. Wall-to-wall carpet is where it gets harder, and Medford will not take it at all. A small rug costs $0 to $40 depending on the town; a whole house of carpet is a hauler job, sized by the load: $209 for a quarter trailer, $159 minimum.

The Massachusetts rule

Carpet and rugs are not on MassDEP's list of banned materials or in 310 CMR 19.017, so the state does not prohibit sending carpet to disposal. MassDEP's construction-debris guidance lists carpet among materials it encourages people to reuse and recycle, which is not a ban. For the 2022 textile ban, MassDEP defines textiles as bedding, clothing, curtains, fabric, footwear, towels and similar items; carpet is not named. If you are unsure about an old area rug, ask your town. Pad, tack strips and staples from a renovation are construction debris (see the construction debris page).

Wet or moldy carpet: none of the town pages we read say they take it. Call your DPW before setting it out.

Free or cheap options

Cut, roll, tie, set out. The standard town rule is a length and weight limit: Stoneham rolled and tied in 3-foot lengths under 50 pounds; Peabody small lengths of carpet no longer than 4 feet; Saugus one room, same color, cut to 4-foot lengths. Tape each roll and use a utility knife on a drop cloth.
Donate a clean rug. Habitat's Greater Boston ReStore takes rugs "new only" and lists carpet (unbound) under "donate elsewhere." A used rug in good shape is better offered on a neighborhood group.
Transfer station. Winchester charges $10 for a rug or carpet over 4 feet by 6 feet, residents only.
The installer. If a flooring company is laying the new floor, ask them to haul the old carpet and put the price on the estimate.

Typical municipal rules and fees (checked November 2026)

Town	Carpet / rug rule	Fee	Source
Winchester	Transfer Station; rugs and carpets over 4 ft x 6 ft; resident permit	$10 each	winchester.us
Saugus	One room, same color, 4-ft lengths, counts as a bulk item	$2 Green Sticker; two Green Sticker items per unit	Saugus brochure
Peabody	Lengths up to 4 ft, one bulk item per week	No charge	Peabody regulations
Stoneham	Rolled, tied, 3-ft lengths, under 50 lb; arrange through Casella, 1-800-950-9293	Fees may apply	stoneham-ma.gov
Medford	Rolled and tied area rugs yes; wall-to-wall carpet no; schedule with Waste Management, 800-972-4545	$15 per item	medfordma.org
Reading	Considered a bulk item; call Republic, 1-800-442-9006, to pay and schedule	Amount not listed	readingma.gov
Lynn	Curbside bulk pickup through Capitol Waste, 855-533-3400; ask whether carpet qualifies	$20 per item	Lynn DPW
Melrose	Carpet/rug pickup	$40 per item	Melrose fee schedule
Waltham	One bulk item per week; carpet is not named on the page	Included with trash service	city.waltham.ma.us

Winchester
Carpet / rug rule
Transfer Station; rugs and carpets over 4 ft x 6 ft; resident permit
Fee
$10 each
Source
winchester.us
Saugus
Carpet / rug rule
One room, same color, 4-ft lengths, counts as a bulk item
Fee
$2 Green Sticker; two Green Sticker items per unit
Source
Saugus brochure
Peabody
Carpet / rug rule
Lengths up to 4 ft, one bulk item per week
Fee
No charge
Source
Peabody regulations
Stoneham
Carpet / rug rule
Rolled, tied, 3-ft lengths, under 50 lb; arrange through Casella, 1-800-950-9293
Fee
Fees may apply
Source
stoneham-ma.gov
Medford
Carpet / rug rule
Rolled and tied area rugs yes; wall-to-wall carpet no; schedule with Waste Management, 800-972-4545
Fee
$15 per item
Source
medfordma.org
Reading
Carpet / rug rule
Considered a bulk item; call Republic, 1-800-442-9006, to pay and schedule
Fee
Amount not listed
Source
readingma.gov
Lynn
Carpet / rug rule
Curbside bulk pickup through Capitol Waste, 855-533-3400; ask whether carpet qualifies
Fee
$20 per item
Source
Lynn DPW
Melrose
Carpet / rug rule
Carpet/rug pickup
Fee
$40 per item
Source
Melrose fee schedule
Waltham
Carpet / rug rule
One bulk item per week; carpet is not named on the page
Fee
Included with trash service
Source
city.waltham.ma.us

Boston lists no carpet rule on its special-collection page and says it does not collect construction material, so call 311 before setting carpet out (boston.gov).

DIY or hauled?

DIY is fine for rugs and for one room of carpet if you can feed it into the bulk-item limit a piece or two a week; that is the real cost, time. A rolled room of wall-to-wall carpet plus pad is heavy when wet, and tack strips are sharp: wear gloves and boots.

Hauled: a whole floor or house, a town that refuses wall-to-wall carpet at the curb (Medford), and any move-out where the carpet is one of ten things leaving.

What JunkRun charges (posted flat prices, junkrun.co/pricing)

Carpet is not an itemized product on the price list, so it is priced by the load. $159 minimum pickup; then $209 for a quarter trailer (about 3 cubic yards), $319 for a half, $409 for three-quarters, $519 for a full 12-yard trailer; boxes and bags are $11 each. A single rolled room of carpet and pad is a fraction of a trailer; text a photo for the exact number.

Quick answers

Can you throw carpet in the trash in Massachusetts?

Yes. Carpet is not on MassDEP's waste ban list. Towns still set how it goes out, usually cut to 3 or 4 foot lengths, tied, and counted as a bulky item.

Can I put wall-to-wall carpet out at the curb?

It depends on the town. Medford does not accept wall-to-wall carpet. Saugus takes one room of same-color carpet cut to 4-foot lengths. Call your DPW first.

Will anyone take old carpet for free?

Not that we found. Habitat's ReStore lists carpet (unbound) as "donate elsewhere" and takes only new rugs. Peabody takes short lengths as the weekly bulk item at no charge.

How much does it cost to dispose of carpet?

Town fees we read run from no charge in Peabody to $10 in Winchester, $15 in Medford, $20 in Lynn and $40 in Melrose. JunkRun prices a bigger job by the load, from a $159 minimum.