Melrose, MA: trash, recycling and bulky pickup guide 2026-27
Checked November 2026 · by JUNKRUN, Melrose MA
The city's hauler collects weekly trash and recycling in city-issued 64-gallon barrels (maroon trash, blue recycling).
Phones: DPW / City Yard 781-665-0142; Casella bulky 1-800-227-3552
Coming up in Melrose
Dates the town has posted, soonest first. Each row drops off once its day has passed.
The dates posted when we last checked have all passed. The town's own pages, linked below, have the next ones.
- Christmas tree pickup · look again December 2026
- Hazardous waste day · look again March 2027
At a glance
- Trash day
Weekly trash and recycling in city 64-gallon barrels (maroon trash, blue recycling).
- Bulky items
Casella books wooden items (sofa $50). Metal goods, appliances and TVs $30 each by DPW, Tuesdays.
- Drop-off
City Yard, 72 Tremont St. Mon, Tue, Thu 7:30-2:45; Saturdays 8-3 April-December. Free vehicle sticker required.
- Mattress
$65 curbside through Tough Stuff, or $40 at the City Yard on open Saturdays, prepaid.
Melrose 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 delay: one dayFactCollection after a holiday runs one day late for all later days that week, and Friday's collection moves to Saturday. 2026 holidays shown: Veterans Day Nov 11 (City Yard closed), Thanksgiving Nov 26, Christmas Dec 25.SourcePage date2026
Bulky items: Casella bulky price listFactWood head and foot board $45, chair or recliner $50, wood table or desk $40, dresser $50, loveseat $45, pullout couch $55, regular sofa $50, wooden door $35, swing set $50, toilet $40, carpet or rug $40.SourcePage date2026-08-12
Bulky items: Metal goods and appliance pickupFactThe DPW picks up metal goods, appliances and TVs for $30 each on Tuesdays. Online payments after 3 pm Monday roll to the next week. Doors come off refrigerators and microwaves. Not for buildings of 6 or more units.SourcePage dateundated
Bulky items: Mattress options and pricesFactCurbside mattress or box spring pickup is $65 scheduled only through Tough Stuff Recycling. City Yard Saturday drop-off is $40, prepaid on a weekday, in a plastic mattress bag, April to December, 8 am-3 pm.SourcePage date2026-08-12
Bulky items: Electronics fees at the City YardFactLaptop $20, monitor $20, TV $20, computer tower $5, printer or stereo $5. Batteries, textiles, books and string lights are free.SourcePage date2026-08-12- Drop-off and permits: Free City Yard stickerFactSince July 1, 2026 residents must put a free City Yard sticker on the vehicle. Register at the DPW office with proof of residency and vehicle registration, Mon-Fri 8 am-3:30 pm.SourcePage date2026
Drop-off and permits: City Yard fees for tires, propane, bulbsFactCar or light truck tire $4, heavy truck tire $25, 20 lb propane tank $20, fire extinguisher $20, first 4 bulbs free then $1 each. Pay cash in exact amount or check to the City of Melrose.SourcePage date2026-08-12- Leaves and yard waste: Yard waste bag limitsFactBags and barrels must be under 45 gallons and 45 lb, 10 per pickup. Barrels need a yard waste sticker, free at 72 Tremont St; barrels without a sticker are skipped.SourcePage dateundated
- Leaves and yard waste: City Yard yard waste drop-offFactLeaves, grass and brush up to 1 in thick, bundled, can be dropped at 72 Tremont St with the City Yard sticker. No dirt.SourcePage date2026
- Christmas trees: Tree rulesFactRemove stands, bags, tinsel, twine and lights. Trees in plastic bags are not collected. Trees may also be dropped at the Recycling Center in the first two weeks of January.SourcePage dateundated
- Also worth knowing: Overflow bags and extra barrelFactOverflow bags are $10 for a roll of five through WasteZero. An extra trash barrel is $70 once plus $150 a year; a lost barrel costs $70 to replace.SourcePage dateundated
- Also worth knowing: Fall recycling eventFactThe 2026 calendar shows a City Yard recycling event on Sat Nov 7, 8 am-noon, unless noted otherwise (details on the reverse of the flyer).SourcePage date2026
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
Curbside yard waste weeks this fall on regular collection day: Nov 2-6, Nov 16-20 and Nov 30-Dec 4, 2026 (the last). Out by 7 am but not before 5 pm the day before. Paper bags or barrels labeled yard waste, under 45 gallons and 45 lb, 10 per household. Brush up to 1 in thick, bundled and tied; no dirt.
Source: cityofmelrose.org, cityofmelrose.org
Christmas tree pickupUsual pattern, check back
Live trees are collected curbside during the first two weeks of January on regular days (2026: weeks of Jan 5 and Jan 12), or dropped at the City Yard. Remove stand, bags, tinsel, lights and ornaments; trees in plastic bags are not collected. No 2027 dates posted.
Source: cityofmelrose.org, cityofmelrose.org
Bulky itemsPublished
Casella books wooden bulky items (1-800-227-3552 or Recycle 101 app): sofa $50, loveseat $45, pullout couch $55, chair or recliner $50, dresser $50, wood table $40, carpet or rug $40, toilet $40. Metal goods, appliances and TVs: $30 each by DPW, picked up Tuesdays, pay by 3 pm Monday. Mattress or box spring: $65 curbside through Tough Stuff Recycling, or $40 at the City Yard on open Saturdays with prepayment.
Source: cityofmelrose.org, cityofmelrose.org
Transfer station or drop-offPublished
DPW Recycling Center (City Yard), 72 Tremont St. Mon, Tue, Thu 7:30-2:45; Saturdays 8-3 seasonally April to December. A free City Yard vehicle sticker is required since July 1, 2026 (proof of residency and registration at the DPW office, Mon-Fri 8-3:30). Takes yard waste, dried latex paint, textiles and books free; electronics, tires, bulbs and propane tanks for a fee.
Source: cityofmelrose.org, cityofmelrose.org
Hazardous waste dayUsual pattern, check back
Melrose's 2026 hazardous waste day was Oct 17, 8 am-noon at Melrose High School (check only, made to City of Melrose); the Stoneham event was June 20. Both are past. Oil-based paint is accepted only at these events; dried latex paint goes to the City Yard.
Source: cityofmelrose.org, cityofmelrose.org
Notes on 2027 dates, row by row
- Leaf and yard waste: Spring and fall weeks repeat each year. The 2027 calendar posts around January. Check back in March 2027.
- Christmas tree pickup: Usual pattern: first two weeks of January. Check back in December.
- Bulky items: Fees effective Aug 12, 2026. Fee schedule revisions usually follow the July 1 fiscal year. Check back in July 2027.
- Transfer station or drop-off: Saturday season April to December. Hours post each spring. Check back in March 2027.
- Hazardous waste day: Annual, usually spring (Stoneham) and fall (Melrose). 2027 dates not posted. Check back in March 2027.