Boston, Massachusetts resident guide
Boston bulk trash pickup, trash & recycling schedule
Choose the correct Boston path for furniture, mattresses, and special items, find the address calendar, and check the published 2026 fall leaf collection weeks.
Official source links checked on August 31, 2026.
Regular household service
Trash and recycling service
Start here for the recurring household collections residents use most often.
Use Boston's address calendar for the neighborhood collection day. Place trash after 5 p.m. the evening before and by 6 a.m. on collection day in a lidded barrel or approved strong trash bag.
Boston provides single stream curbside recycling to buildings under seven units. Place accepted clean metal, glass, plastic, and paper loose in a lidded container after 5 p.m. and by 6 a.m. on collection day.
Need it gone before the city service?
Get a LoadUp quote when the local date is too far away or an item is excluded.
Start here
Schedule Boston service
Use the official Boston page that matches the item. Book mattress recycling separately from special item collection. Ordinary furniture and bikes can be donated or placed with regular curbside trash at an address receiving City service.
Boston 2026 collection guide
Boston uses three different large item paths
Ordinary furniture can follow curbside trash, mattresses need their own recycling appointment, and listed cooling appliances or electronics require a special item appointment.
Donate when possible or follow the address trash schedule.
Most buildings with six or fewer units are eligible for City mattress recycling.
Schedule no more than five approved special items on one appointment.
Use a publicly accessible curb, alley, or normal dumpster area.
Boston publishes four free resident events in 2026.
Eligible residents use the normal trash day during a listed collection week.
Fall leaf and yard waste pickupBoston published ten fall leaf and yard waste collection weeks2026 fall weeks confirmed
Eligible buildings with six or fewer units receive yard waste collection on the normal trash day during the highlighted weeks. When an address has two trash days, use the first trash day of that week.
Twice weekly addresses use their first trash day of the week.
Use large paper bags or an open barrel with a City yard waste sticker.
Tie branches with string and stay within both published limits.
Published fall 2026 collection windows
- September 14 to 18
- September 28 to October 2
- October 5 to 9
- October 19 to 23
- October 26 to 30
- November 2 to 6
- November 9 to 14
- November 16 to 20
- November 23 to 25 and November 27 to 28
- November 30 to December 4
What residents should do
- Find the normal trash day for the address in Boston's collection calendar.
- Confirm that the date falls inside one of the official 2026 collection windows below.
- Use paper yard waste bags or an open labeled barrel and place everything by 6 a.m.
- Do not use plastic bags or include dirt, mulch, or invasive plants.
Choose the correct local service
Boston uses different paths for furniture, mattresses, and special items
Furniture can use ordinary curbside trash, mattresses need a recycling appointment, and appliances or electronics containing regulated material need a special collection appointment.
Furniture, bikes, futons, and other ordinary household bulk
Boston says furniture and bikes can be donated or placed with curbside trash. The address must receive City collection.
Check Boston trash guidance ↗Mattresses and box springs from eligible small buildings
Boston will not collect these with ordinary trash. Most buildings with six or fewer units can book curbside mattress recycling.
Schedule mattress pickup ↗Cooling appliances, televisions, laptops, and computer monitors
Items containing Freon or a cathode ray tube require a confirmed special collection appointment.
Schedule special item pickup ↗Construction material, water heaters, plumbing fixtures, and large exercise equipment
Boston directs these items to donation or a private hauler rather than the special item appointment program.
Boston special collection checklist
Use the scheduler that matches the exact item
A mattress request and a refrigerator request are separate official services. Furniture usually needs neither one.
Special items each year
The household allowance also applies to mattresses.
Items per appointment
Applies to the special item program.
Mattress eligibility
Larger buildings use property management.
Ready for pickup
Or set out after 5 p.m. the night before.
- 1
Search the Boston disposal directory or choose the correct item path on this page.
- 2
Book a mattress appointment or special item appointment when required and save the email.
- 3
Remove refrigerator and freezer doors and all food. Keep appliances and electronics intact.
- 4
Place the item in a publicly accessible collection area after 5 p.m. the night before or by 6 a.m. on the appointment day.
Regular Boston collection
Use the address calendar for trash, recycling, and yard waste
Boston collection timing is neighborhood specific. The official calendar accepts a street number and name without the unit or ZIP code.
Ready by 6 a.m.
Wait until after 5 p.m. the evening before. Use barrels with lids or approved strong trash bags, not grocery bags or cardboard boxes.
Loose material in a lidded container
Buildings under seven units receive curbside single stream recycling. Keep accepted metal, glass, plastic, and paper clean and loose.
The affected neighborhoods vary
Boston publishes City holidays, but the address calendar gives the final collection date for each neighborhood.
Boston item preparation
A correct appointment can still be missed when preparation is incomplete
Crews collect only from a public curb, alley, or dumpster area. They do not enter private property, and blocked or unsafe items are left behind.
Remove doors and food
Fridges and freezers are rejected when a door is attached or food remains inside.
Keep items intact and freestanding
Do not smash a television or computer and do not place it inside a box.
Do not crush or cut
Bag and fully seal a dirty, soiled, or bed bug affected mattress.
Report within 24 hours
Call Boston 311 promptly or the appointment must be scheduled again.
2026 Boston Zero Waste Days
Four free resident events accept hazardous and hard to recycle material
Events run from 8:30 a.m. to noon and accept batteries, electronics, chemicals, oil paint, light bulbs, automotive material, textiles, and documents for shredding.
Central Public Works Facility
Use the event entrance at 200 Frontage Road.
West Roxbury Public Works
315 Gardner Street.
West Roxbury Public Works
315 Gardner Street.
Central Public Works Facility
400 Frontage Road.
Important local distinction
Boston's special item program is not a general furniture appointment
It covers listed appliances and electronics containing regulated material. Mattresses use their own scheduler, while ordinary furniture can follow curbside trash guidance.
Read current Boston special item rules ↗City rules at a glance
Local limits before placement
Special item collection is limited to ten items per household each calendar year and five items per appointment. Mattress recycling also uses a ten item annual limit for eligible buildings with six or fewer units.
Place scheduled items where trash is normally collected after 5 p.m. the evening before or by 6 a.m. on appointment day. The location must be publicly accessible and not blocked. Crews do not enter private property.
Local detail that matters
What makes Boston service different
Boston does not use one general bulk appointment. A couch can follow regular trash, a mattress uses the mattress scheduler, and an air conditioner or television uses the special item scheduler.
Item guidance
What may go in the bulk item pile
Accepted examples
Special appointments cover refrigerators, freezers, water coolers, ice makers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, televisions, laptops, and computer monitors. Mattress appointments accept published mattress and box spring types from eligible properties.
Not accepted
Commercial grade items, large exercise equipment, construction material, water heaters, plumbing fixtures, and dishwashers are outside the special appointment list. Large buildings use property management or a private service for mattresses.
Holiday collectionBoston published its 2026 City holiday effectsPublished 2026 dates confirmed
Most listed City holidays delay trash and recycling in some neighborhoods. Boston does not publish one citywide replacement day, so the address calendar gives the final collection date.
Not every neighborhood changes
The City repeatedly says collection is delayed in some neighborhoods. Use the street address in the official calendar instead of assuming a universal one day shift.
Two local observances keep normal collection
Evacuation Day on March 17 and Bunker Hill Day on June 17 keep normal trash and recycling service in 2026.
Appointments use the confirmed date
Follow the email for a mattress or special item appointment. Call 311 when a confirmed item is not collected and report the miss within 24 hours.
City holidays that may delay some neighborhoods
Use the Boston address calendar for the final pickup date.
- New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 19
- Presidents Day, Monday, February 16
- Patriots Day, Monday, April 20
- Memorial Day, Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth, Friday, June 19
- Independence Day observed, Friday, July 3
- Labor Day, Monday, September 7
- Indigenous Peoples Day, Monday, October 12
- Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26
- Christmas Day, Friday, December 25
Common questions
Boston collection FAQ
Does Boston collect furniture with regular trash?
Boston lists furniture and bikes as items that do not require special collection. Donate them when possible or use the curbside trash schedule for an eligible City service address.
How do I schedule a Boston mattress pickup?
Use the separate mattress recycling scheduler. Most buildings with six or fewer units are eligible, and the mattress must be at the normal collection point by 6 a.m. on the confirmed day.
Which Boston items need a special collection appointment?
Listed items include refrigerators, freezers, water coolers, ice makers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, televisions, laptops, and computer monitors.
How many special items can Boston collect?
The current limit is ten special items per household each calendar year, with no more than five items on one appointment.
How should a Boston refrigerator be prepared?
Remove every door and all food, keep the appliance intact, and place it in a publicly accessible collection area without anything on top of it.
When does Boston collect fall leaves in 2026?
Boston published ten fall collection weeks from September 14 through December 4. Eligible buildings with six or fewer units use the normal trash day during a listed week, or the first trash day when service occurs twice weekly.
Sources used for this guide
Official supporting information
TrashDayFinder used these public sources to prepare the resident guidance above. They were checked on August 31, 2026 and are provided here as evidence.