Trash, bulk pickup & dump guide for Cambridge, MA
Bulk pickup schedules, landfill hours and fees, and hazardous waste drop-offs for Cambridge residents — from official city and county sources.
- Weekly curbside collection of trash, recycling, food waste, and yard waste on an assigned day (find your day with the Get Rid of It Right tool); carts at the curb after 6 p.m. the night before or by 7 a.m. on collection day; one day behind after holidays. City collects from most residential buildings.
- Most permitted items collected Wednesdays or Thursdays; curbside by 7 a.m. on collection day, or after 6 p.m. the night before. Mattress collection is weekly and free via UTEC with advance scheduling.
- $25 permit per item ($20 for age 62+); mattresses and box springs free. One large item/furniture per week may be put out without a permit if the City collects your trash.
- City of Cambridge — Department of Public Works
At a glance: Cambridge
- Trash day
- Weekly curbside collection of trash, recycling, food waste, and yard waste on an assigned day (find your day with the Get Rid of It Right tool); carts at the curb after 6 p.m. the night before or by 7 a.m. on collection day; one day behind after holidays. City collects from most residential buildings.
- Bulk pickup
- Most permitted items collected Wednesdays or Thursdays; curbside by 7 a.m. on collection day, or after 6 p.m. the night before. Mattress collection is weekly and free via UTEC with advance scheduling.
- Bulk cost
- $25 permit per item ($20 for age 62+); mattresses and box springs free. One large item/furniture per week may be put out without a permit if the City collects your trash.
- Dump
- Cambridge Recycling Center
- Hazardous waste
- No permanent HHW facility — four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days per year at 50 Mooney St (enter via Fawcett St); Cambridge residents only with proof of residency. 2026 events: Apr 11 (9am-1pm), Jun 9 (2:30-6:30pm), Aug 29 (9am-1pm), Nov 7 (9am-1pm). Prescription medicines also accepted year-round at Police Dept., 125 Sixth St.
Regular trash day
- Schedule
- Weekly curbside collection of trash, recycling, food waste, and yard waste on an assigned day (find your day with the Get Rid of It Right tool); carts at the curb after 6 p.m. the night before or by 7 a.m. on collection day; one day behind after holidays. City collects from most residential buildings.
Bulk & large-item pickup
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Landfills, transfer stations & drop-offs
| Name | Type | Address | Hours | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Recycling Center | drop-off | 147 Hampshire St (back right corner of DPW Yard), Cambridge, MA Cambridge residents | Tue and Thu 4pm-7:30pm; Sat 9am-4pm | Free for residents |
| ||||
Household hazardous waste
No permanent HHW facility — four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days per year at 50 Mooney St (enter via Fawcett St); Cambridge residents only with proof of residency. 2026 events: Apr 11 (9am-1pm), Jun 9 (2:30-6:30pm), Aug 29 (9am-1pm), Nov 7 (9am-1pm). Prescription medicines also accepted year-round at Police Dept., 125 Sixth St.
Accepted
- batteries (vehicle, lithium-ion, alkaline)
- car fluids (antifreeze, brake, engine degreaser, transmission)
- car tires (max four per household)
- chemicals (cleaners, glues, removers, photography, pool)
- fluorescent light bulbs
- mercury items (thermometers, thermostats)
- paints (oil-based and latex)
- poisons (insecticides, pesticides, weed killers)
- propane cylinders (20 lbs or less)
- waste fuels (gasoline, kerosene, sterno, motor oil)
- fire extinguishers
Not accepted
- ammunition, fireworks, explosives
- asbestos
- bleach or ammonia
- commercial/industrial waste
- construction debris
- empty aerosol cans
- compressed gas cylinders
- infectious or biological waste
- radioactive waste
- smoke detectors (trash)
- syringes
Yard waste
- Schedule
- Free weekly collection April 1-December 31 on your collection day; set out by 7 a.m. Christmas trees collected curbside on trash day during the first two weeks of January.
E-waste
- How
- Small electronics accepted at the Cambridge Recycling Center, 147 Hampshire St (Tue/Thu 4-7:30pm, Sat 9am-4pm); TVs and computer monitors over 20 in require a $25 Appliance/Large Item Disposal Permit; rechargeable batteries free at the Recycling Center
- Cost
- $25 permit for TVs/monitors over 20 in; small electronics free at the Recycling Center
Cambridge has no landfill or transfer station open to residents — trash goes to curbside collection. Free weekly curbside textile collection via HELPSY (state law bans textiles from trash); free curbside compost pickup for food scraps. Next HHW event: Saturday, November 7, 2026, 9am-1pm at 50 Mooney St.
Frequently asked questions
- When is trash day in Cambridge, MA?
- Weekly curbside collection of trash, recycling, food waste, and yard waste on an assigned day (find your day with the Get Rid of It Right tool); carts at the curb after 6 p.m. the night before or by 7 a.m. on collection day; one day behind after holidays. City collects from most residential buildings.
- When is bulk pickup in Cambridge, MA?
- Most permitted items collected Wednesdays or Thursdays; curbside by 7 a.m. on collection day, or after 6 p.m. the night before. Mattress collection is weekly and free via UTEC with advance scheduling. Apply for an Appliance/Large Item Disposal Permit online, or in person at 147 Hampshire St (Mon 8:30am-8pm, Tue-Thu 8:30am-5pm, Fri 8:30am-12pm); pay by check, money order, cash or credit card. Mattresses: free permit but scheduled separately at cambridgema.gov/mattress (UTEC weekly pickup).
- How much does bulk pickup cost in Cambridge?
- $25 permit per item ($20 for age 62+); mattresses and box springs free. One large item/furniture per week may be put out without a permit if the City collects your trash.
- What items are accepted for bulk pickup in Cambridge?
- air conditioners, clothes washers and dryers, copiers and printers (over 40 lbs), dehumidifiers, refrigerators and freezers, stoves, TVs and computer monitors (over 20 in), trash compactors, water coolers and heaters, larger motorized exercise equipment, mattresses and box springs (free)
- Where can I dump trash near Cambridge?
- Cambridge Recycling Center (147 Hampshire St (back right corner of DPW Yard), Cambridge, MA)
- Where do I take hazardous waste in Cambridge?
- No permanent HHW facility — four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days per year at 50 Mooney St (enter via Fawcett St); Cambridge residents only with proof of residency. 2026 events: Apr 11 (9am-1pm), Jun 9 (2:30-6:30pm), Aug 29 (9am-1pm), Nov 7 (9am-1pm). Prescription medicines also accepted year-round at Police Dept., 125 Sixth St.
- Yard waste in Cambridge: Free weekly collection April 1-December 31 on your collection day; set out by 7 a.m. Christmas trees collected curbside on trash day during the first two weeks of January.
- Free weekly collection April 1-December 31 on your collection day; set out by 7 a.m. Christmas trees collected curbside on trash day during the first two weeks of January.
- E-waste in Cambridge: Small electronics accepted at the Cambridge Recycling Center, 147 Hampshire St (Tue/Thu 4-7:30pm, Sat 9am-4pm); TVs and computer monitors over 20 in require a $25 Appliance/Large Item Disposal Permit; rechargeable batteries free at the Recycling Center
- Small electronics accepted at the Cambridge Recycling Center, 147 Hampshire St (Tue/Thu 4-7:30pm, Sat 9am-4pm); TVs and computer monitors over 20 in require a $25 Appliance/Large Item Disposal Permit; rechargeable batteries free at the Recycling Center