Reading, MA: trash, recycling and bulky pickup guide 2026-27
Checked November 2026 · by JUNKRUN, Melrose MA
Weekly curbside trash and recycling (Republic Services).
Phones: DPW 781-942-9077; Republic Services 1-800-442-9006
Coming up in Reading
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 (Republic Services).
- Bulky items
Republic by appointment, paid in advance (1-800-442-9006). Flat-screen TVs drop free at the DPW garage.
- Drop-off
No transfer station. DPW, 75 Newcrossing Rd: Mon-Fri 7:30-2:30, Sat 9-noon. Compost Center on Strout Ave is seasonal.
- Mattress
Tough Stuff: $65 curbside or $33 at the DPW garage, per piece.
Reading 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: Whole week slides a dayFactWhen a legal holiday interrupts pickup, rubbish goes out one day later than usual for the entire week, so Friday customers set out on Saturday. Recycling stays on your regular day, per the town page.SourcePage dateundated
Bulky items: Bulky prices from RepublicFactSince automated collection began July 6, 2026, bulk pickup is booked and paid with Republic at 1-800-442-9006. Burnable items (couch, table, dresser, wooden chair) are $30 each up to 150 lb; white goods, sinks, tubs, toilets and CRT TVs are $80 each; small metal (bike, grill) $40, large metal (shed, treadmill, snow blower) $80.SourcePage datepage references July 6, 2026 start- Bulky items: Bulky counting rulesFactFour wooden chairs count as one item and one sectional section counts as one. Rugs must be cut to 3-4 ft lengths and tied, up to 6 rolls a week; wood bundles are limited to 3-4 per pickup, up to 6 in. thick and 4 ft long. Drawers and doors on furniture must be taped or removed.SourcePage datepage references July 6, 2026 start
- Bulky items: Not taken as bulkyFactRepublic bulk pickup refuses mattresses and box springs, cardboard, clothing and textiles, yard waste, fire extinguishers, hazardous materials, riding mowers, pressure-treated wood, sheetrock, tile, insulation, concrete and construction debris.SourcePage datepage references July 6, 2026 start
Bulky items: Mattress bag requirementFactTough Stuff mattress pickup ($65 curbside, $33 DPW drop-off) requires a mattress bag at the curb, free at the DPW office in Town Hall or the DPW garage with proof of payment. Crib and foam mattresses count; air beds, pet beds and toppers do not. Tough Stuff: 978-307-4118. Republic dropped mattresses Oct 31, 2022.SourcePage dateundated- Leaves and yard waste: Compost Center hours and rulesFactCompost Center (Strout Ave, end of Grove St) takes leaves, grass and yard waste for Reading residents only; trimmings max 8 ft long and 8 in. thick, no brush in paper bags. Fall 2026 hours include 8-4 on some days, and it is open Veterans Day 8-2:30. A 2026 Community Access or Compost-only sticker is required; it closes Sun Dec 6, 2026.SourcePage dateSep-Dec 2026 schedule
- Christmas trees: Christmas tree optionsFactChristmas trees ride curbside during one week in January, or go to the Compost Center on a January Saturday with an access sticker. Artificial trees are not yard waste: they count as a $30 burnable bulk item with Republic.SourcePage dateundated (bulk price from 2026 automated page)
- Also worth knowing: Overflow bag ruleFactReading now uses town-issued carts, and only one official overflow bag a week is allowed, placed on top of the trash cart. Bags sell at Market Basket customer service or the DPW office at Town Hall (cash or check only).SourcePage datepage references July 6, 2026 start
- Also worth knowing: Extra cart and sizeFactA second trash cart (64 gallons) can be leased for $200 a year; 48-gallon trash carts are available on request, and 64 gallons is the maximum. Recycling carts are free and a 96-gallon recycling cart can be requested. Recyclables go in loose, not bagged, with boxes flattened.SourcePage datepage references July 6, 2026 start
- Also worth knowing: Cart placement rulesFactPut carts at the curb with the lid closed and wheels toward the street, with 3 ft clear on all sides of vehicles, mailboxes and other carts. Overfilled or blocked carts may be skipped. Broken carts are repaired or replaced free by Public Works at 781-942-9077.SourcePage datepage references July 6, 2026 start
Also worth knowing: HHW and mercuryFactOil paint, propane tanks and fire extinguishers go to the HHW day Reading holds each spring; the A-to-Z page says Wakefield holds one each fall. Thermostats and thermometers go to the Health Department on a limited basis; fluorescent bulbs go to the DPW garage at 75 Newcrossing Rd.SourcePage dateundated
Also worth knowing: DPW garage drop-offsFactThe DPW garage is open Mon-Fri 7:30-2:30 and Sat 9-12 for extra cardboard, flat-screen monitors, keyboards and most electronics other than CRT TVs and monitors. The town also lists two shredding/recycling events at the garage each year and Styrofoam drop-off.SourcePage dateundated
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
Fall 2026 curbside leaf weeks on your trash day: Oct 26-30, Nov 2-6, Nov 16-20, Nov 30-Dec 4, in paper bags. The Compost Center on Strout Ave takes leaves and yard waste with a 2026 sticker and closes for the season Dec 6. (dates read from the town's PDF calendar)
Source: readingma.gov
Christmas tree pickupUsual pattern, check back
Curbside one week in January; also at the Compost Center on Strout Ave on one Saturday in January (dates TBA, access sticker or card needed). Last season: curbside Jan 12-16, 2026.
Source: readingma.gov
Bulky itemsPublished
Bulky items and appliances go through Republic by appointment, paid in advance, no refunds (town page lists no amounts): 1-800-442-9006. Mattresses: Tough Stuff Recycling $65 curbside or $33 at the DPW garage, per mattress or box spring. Construction debris is not accepted curbside. Flat-screen TVs and most electronics drop free at the DPW garage; CRTs go through Republic for a fee.
Source: readingma.gov, readingma.gov
Transfer station or drop-offPublished
Reading has no transfer station. DPW Facility, 75 Newcrossing Rd: Mon-Fri 7:30 am-2:30 pm, Sat 9 am-noon (electronics, bulbs, motor oil, paid mattress drop-off; not a bulky dump). Compost Center, Strout Ave: seasonal, sticker required.
Source: readingma.gov
Hazardous waste dayUsual pattern, check back
The town holds a household hazardous waste day each spring; call DPW for the date. Fluorescent bulbs, mercury items and motor oil can go to the DPW garage any open day. Propane tanks go to the HHW day. Clean Harbors in Braintree holds Saturday collections April through October (the page's alternative).
Source: readingma.gov
Notes on 2027 dates, row by row
- Leaf and yard waste: Fall dates are on the September-December compost schedule. No 2027 schedule yet. Check back in September 2027.
- Christmas tree pickup: Usual pattern: one week in mid-January (2026: Jan 12-16). 2027 week not posted. Check back in December.
- Bulky items: Amounts are set by Republic and Tough Stuff. Check back in January.
- Transfer station or drop-off: The Compost Center is seasonal (it closes Dec 6, 2026). 2027 hours are not posted. Check back in March 2027.
- Hazardous waste day: Usual pattern: one spring Saturday. 2027 date not posted. Check back in March 2027.