Trash and Recycling in Large Residential Buildings

The City of Boston offers curbside trash and recycling collection service to qualifying residential buildings. It is recommended that large residential buildings have at least two trash and recycling collection services a week. If your property is in a neighborhood that only receives collection services once a week, this service should be supplemented by a private hauler.  

Receptacle qualifications:

• Building owners/managers need to buy trash receptacles that range in size from 64-gallons to 2-cubic-yards. All buildings with more than 12 units must use 2-cubic-yard receptacles for trash.

• All receptacles must have lids. 

• All receptacles must be made of metal or durable plastic.

• All receptacles must be serviced regularly.

• 2-cubic-yard receptacles must be rear loading. 

• Receptacles smaller than 2-cubic-yards must have lift pocket and lift bar. 

• Receptacles must not overfill, this leads to spillage and critters.

• Receptacles must not exceed 2-cubic yards. Any building that has trash receptacles greater than 2-cubic yards are required to use a private hauling service.

• All receptacles must be curbside at the time of collection. 

think before you trash

• Before you choose to throw waste in the trash, find out if it can be recycled, reused, or donated.
• To learn more about the City’s waste reduction programs, visit our Zero Waste page. 
• For the safety of our employees, please do not place medical waste in your trash. Click here to learn where to safely dispose of syringes and needles.
• The City of Boston does not collect construction debris, automotive parts, plumbing fixtures, fences, water heaters, or fire debris. Please find a local private hauler to collect these items. 

PICKUP OF FURNITURE

• Furniture can be put out with your normal curbside trash and recycling on your scheduled collection day.
• Make sure furniture is neatly placed next to trash receptacles.

code violation tickets

• If you don’t comply with our regulations, you may receive a ticket from our Code Enforcement Division. 
• Residents can report offenses to Boston 311.

Appeal a code violation

pay a code violation 

NEED HELP? FILL OUT A SERVICE REQUEST.

• You can file a Boston 311 service request. 

The City of Boston offers curbside trash and recycling collection service to qualifying residential buildings. It is recommended that large residential buildings have at least two trash and recycling collection services a week. If your property is in a neighborhood that only receives collection services once a week, this service should be supplemented by a private hauler.

Cart qualifications

• You need to buy blue recycling carts that range in size from 64 to 96 gallons. You can mix paper, bottles, cans, and plastic containers in the carts. 
• All carts must have lids, lift pocket, and lift bar.
• All carts must be serviced regularly.
• Carts must not be overfilled. This leads to spillage and code violations.
• Recommended number of 96-gallon carts for purchase
  • 7-10 units: 3 carts
  • 11-15 units: 4 carts
  • 16-20 units: 5 carts
  • 21-25 units: 6 carts, etc, adding 1 more cart for every 5 units.
• Some cart distributors:
  • All Brands Corporation 
    • Phone: 617-254-6007
    • Address: 319 Washington St Brighton, MA 02135 
  • AJ Equipment
    • Phone: 1-800-354-5623
    • Address: 490 Centre Ave Abington, MA 02351 
  • Select Home Depot Stores
    • South Bay
      • Phone: 617-442-6110
      • Address: 5 Allstate Road Boston, MA 02125
    • West Roxbury
      • Phone: 617-327-5000
      • Address: 1213 VWF Parkway West Roxbury, MA 02132
  • All carts must be curbside at the time of collection.

Recycle right!

• Use the waste sorting tool on our Trash Day app to learn what you can and can’t recycle.
• Flatten cardboard boxes to save room in your bin!
• Plastic shopping bags and black or white trash bags cannot be recycled.

GROUNDS FOR REJECTION

• Recycling will be rejected if contamination from garbage is found in recycling carts, or failure to put out recycling carts. Garbage pickup may be suspended until recycling issues are corrected. 
• You may opt out of these requirements by purchasing private waste collection services. 

code violation tickets

• If you don’t comply with our regulations, you may receive a ticket from our Code Enforcement Division. 
• Residents can report offenses to Boston 311.

appeal a code violation

pay a code violation

NEED HELP? FILL OUT A SERVICE REQUEST.

• You can file a Boston 311 service request. 

• Building owners and managers are responsible for educating their tenants on their responsibilities as residents. 
• Affix recycling guides within close proximity to carts to help reduce the risk of contamination.
• Tell new tenants to download the Trash Day App for collection day reminders and to use the waste sorting tool.

• Trash and recycling must be curbside by 6am on collection day. We will not pick-up on private property. 

• Wait until after 5 p.m. the evening before your collection day to bring containers curbside to avoid spillage and code violations.

• Trash receptacles and recycling carts must not block pedestrian pathways or active roadways.

• Take trash receptacles and recycling carts off the curb as soon as possible after pickup.

• You are responsible for keeping trash receptacles and recycling carts maintained, broken containers must be replaced.

• All trash materials must be bagged correctly in 2 ply or .9 millimeter or greater plastic material.

• Kitchen bags, grocery bags, or cardboard boxes cannot be used as trash bags.

• If the number of carts is not enough to contain the building's recycling, you must provide an adequate number.

• You must get approval if you plan on adding any additional trash receptacles or recycling carts to your building. Send an email to get approval.