Boston, MA: trash, recycling and bulky pickup guide 2026-27
Checked November 2026 · by JUNKRUN, Melrose MA
City Public Works collects trash weekly; buildings over 6 units are not served.
Phones: 311 (617-635-4500); zerowaste@boston.gov
Coming up in Boston
Dates the town has posted, soonest first. Each row drops off once its day has passed.
Sat Nov 21, 2026, 8:30 am-noonZero Waste Day (hazardous waste, tires, electronics, textiles)315 Gardner St, West Roxburyboston.gov- Nov 23-28, 2026Leaf and yard waste week (no pickup Thanksgiving, Nov 26)Curb, your trash dayboston.gov
The dates posted when we last checked have all passed. The town's own pages, linked below, have the next ones.
At a glance
- Trash day
Weekly city pickup. Buildings over 6 units are not served. 311 for stickers and day lookup.
- Bulky items
Furniture goes out with regular trash, no fee published. Fridges, freezers, ACs and CRT TVs: scheduled pickup, 10 per year.
- Drop-off
No year-round transfer station. Zero Waste Day events take electronics, hazardous waste, tires and textiles.
- Mattress
By appointment at boston.gov/mattress, 6 units or fewer, 10 per household per year.
Boston specifics, with sources
Checked 2026-11-06. Dates pass: if one is behind you, the town has probably posted the next set, so use the link. Tap a topic to open it.
- Holiday delays: Holiday week delaysFactThe city lists Thanksgiving (Thu Nov 26, 2026) and Christmas (Fri Dec 25, 2026) as holidays when trash and recycling pickups are delayed in some neighborhoods that week; it does not say how many days. Check the Trash Day app for your address.SourcePage dateLast updated 11/26/25
- Holiday delays: Holidays with normal pickupFactEvacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day are not trash holidays: the city lists trash and recycling as on a normal schedule on those dates. Other listed holidays (New Year's, MLK, Presidents, Patriots, Memorial, Juneteenth, July 3, Labor, Indigenous Peoples, Veterans) get the delayed-in-some-neighborhoods note.SourcePage dateLast updated 11/26/25
Bulky items: Special items: 10 a yearFactSpecial-item pickup (fridges, freezers, water coolers, ice makers, ACs, dehumidifiers, TVs, laptops, monitors) is capped at 10 items per calendar year and 5 per appointment, and only by appointment. Missed pickups must be reported to 311 within 24 hours.SourcePage dateLast updated 7/16/26
Bulky items: Fridge door and food rulesFactRemove every fridge and freezer door (mini fridges too) and all food, or the crew leaves it. Do not smash appliances; TVs and computers must stand free, not boxed. Cancel by noon the day before via the confirmation email link.SourcePage dateLast updated 7/16/26- Bulky items: Items the city will not takeFactNot special-collected: large exercise equipment, construction material, water heaters, plumbing fixtures and dishwashers (donate or hire a private hauler). Also no commercial-grade items, and no items on private property.SourcePage dateLast updated 7/16/26
Bulky items: Mattress appointment rulesFactMattresses and box springs need an appointment (a state requirement) and are collected only from buildings of 6 units or fewer, max 10 per calendar year. Put it out by 6 am or after 5 pm the night before; do not crush or cut it. Soiled or bed-bug mattresses must be fully bagged. Futons and toppers go with regular trash.SourcePage dateLast updated 8/28/26- Drop-off and permits: Zero Waste Day proof and limitsFactZero Waste events are for Boston residents only (photo ID, utility bill or lease), no businesses. Limit 20 gallons of paint, oil, gas and chemicals, containers 5 gal or smaller. Paper shredding takes up to 10 copy-paper boxes, and you cannot watch it shredded.SourcePage dateLast updated 10/27/26
Drop-off and permits: Zero Waste mercury and tire itemsFactEvents take fluorescent bulbs of any size, thermostats, thermometers and other mercury items if intact, plus fire extinguishers, empty or full propane tanks, car batteries, and up to 8 car tires and 8 bike tires per person.SourcePage dateLast updated 10/27/26- Leaves and yard waste: Two trash days and non-scheduled weeksFactIf you have two trash days a week, yard waste is collected on the first one. Nothing is collected curbside on non-scheduled weeks. No dirt, mulch or invasive species in yard waste bags. Brush must be tied with string, max 3 ft long and 1 in thick.SourcePage date2026 calendar (file posted 2026/02)
- Also worth knowing: Trash container rulesFactTrash must be in a lidded container you buy yourself; barrels over 32 gallons need a grab bar. Bags must be 2-ply or 0.9 mm plastic; kitchen or grocery bags and cardboard boxes do not count. Put out by 6 am, and not before 5 pm the evening before. Overflowing barrels can draw a code violation ticket.SourcePage dateLast updated 5/11/26
Also worth knowing: Not collected curbsideFactThe city does not collect construction debris, automotive parts, plumbing fixtures, fences, water heaters or fire debris; use a private hauler. Medical waste such as syringes should not go in trash.SourcePage dateLast updated 5/11/26
Every service, in full
Tap a row for what the town publishes and its link. Every fact carries the town's own page and the date that page shows.
Leaf and yard wastePublished
2026 weeks on your trash day (first trash day if you have two): Oct 19-23, Oct 26-30, Nov 2-6, Nov 9-14, Nov 16-20, Nov 23-28 (not Thanksgiving, Nov 26), Nov 30-Dec 4. Large paper bags or open barrels with a City yard waste sticker (request via 311), out by 6 am. No plastic bags. Brush tied, 3 ft by 1 in. max. (dates read from the town's PDF calendar)
Source: boston.gov, boston.gov
Christmas tree pickupPublished
Curbside on your trash day: Dec 28, 2026-Jan 2, 2027 and Jan 4-8, 2027. No lights, ornaments or plastic bags; out by 6 am. The city's page says the two weeks after Christmas; confirm your day in its trash and recycling day lookup. (dates read from the town's PDF calendar)
Source: boston.gov, boston.gov
Bulky itemsPublished
Furniture goes out with regular trash on collection day, no fee published. Mattresses and box springs by appointment only at boston.gov/mattress (6 units or fewer, 10 per household per year). Fridges, freezers, ACs, dehumidifiers and CRT TVs and monitors: scheduled special-item pickup, 10 per calendar year, 5 per appointment, doors off. The City does not collect construction debris, large exercise equipment, water heaters, plumbing fixtures or dishwashers. Washers and dryers are not named on the pages read; confirm with 311.
Source: boston.gov, boston.gov, boston.gov
Transfer station or drop-offNo town program
Boston has no year-round resident transfer station. Zero Waste Day events take electronics, hazardous waste, tires, textiles and shredding, not furniture or construction debris.
Source: boston.gov
Hazardous waste dayPublished
Zero Waste Day: Sat Nov 21, 2026, 8:30 am-noon, 315 Gardner St, West Roxbury (moved from Sept 26 because of weather). Boston residents only; proof of residency is a photo ID, utility bill or lease. 20 gallons total of paint, oil, gas and chemicals, containers 5 gal. or smaller. Also takes car batteries, propane tanks, tires (8 car and 8 bike per person), electronics, textiles. Latex paint can be dried and trashed; only oil-based paint goes to the event.
Source: boston.gov, boston.gov
Notes on 2027 dates, row by row
- Leaf and yard waste: The city collects April to December; the 2026 calendar file was posted in February 2026. 2027 calendar not out. Check back in February 2027.
- Christmas tree pickup: These are the 2026-27 season dates. The next set (Dec 2027-Jan 2028) comes with the 2027 calendar. Check back in February 2027.
- Bulky items: Limits reset each calendar year. Check back in January.
- Transfer station or drop-off: Use Zero Waste Days (below) or a private hauler.
- Hazardous waste day: The 2027 event schedule is not posted. Usual pattern: several Saturdays from spring to fall. Check back in March 2027.