The Town of Winthrop provides one set of bins, a blue trash bin, and one yellow and blue recycling bin per unit, per 1-3 unit dwellings.  The more you reduce, reuse, and recycle, the less likely you are to encounter solid waste that does not fit in your bin.  The Town has established an overflow bag program to help manage the occasional overflow beyond your bin.  You can purchase 33-gallon overflow bags at Cumberland Farms, 7/11, T&T Convenient Store, Quick Food Mart, The DPW, and Town Hall. These are the only acceptable bags for overflow trash collection. Bags sold in sleeves of 5 for $15.00. You must place orange overflow bags inside a bin(s) provided by the tenant/homeowner.  There is no limit to the number of bags you purchase. However, all bags must be placed in a closed-covered bin for curbside collection. All trash placed curbside must not contain recyclables, hazardous materials, or other banned items.

You can apply for an extra blue trash bin for an additional annual fee. An extra 64-gallon blue bin costs $280 annually in addition to the $160 base fee per set of bins per unit.  Payment of the extra bin fee and solid waste fees must be current to apply. www.winthropma.gov/348/Additional-64-Gallon-Trash-Bin-request

Don't need so much space for trash? 

You can swap your 64-gallon cart for a 35-gallon cart with a reduction to the annual Solid Waste fee.  https://www.winthropma.gov/294/Abatement-Information-for-Solid-Waste-Fe

Best Practices for Trash & Recycling Collection

Do: 

• Bag all trash and place it in the blue cart. Break, cut, crush, etc., to get materials to fit in the blue trash bin so the lid is closed.
• Throw out only materials that are not recyclable, reusable, or compostable
• Purchase orange overflow bags for occasional excess trash and place them curbside for collection in a lidded bin provided by the resident.

Don't:

• Dispose of recyclable materials in the blue trash bin
• Dispose of any textiles, as textiles are banned by the MassDEP from landfills and trash collection. Textile recovery bins are located on Walden Street, Kennedy Drive, and at the Public Landing on Shirley Street.
• Dispose of  yard waste
• Dispose of construction & demolition materials
• Dispose of household hazardous waste
• Dispose of sharps, needles, and medications
• Include bulk items in your bin

Bins must be at the curb by 7:00 am on your collection day or as early as 5:00 pm the evening before collection.

Quick FAQ's

• All trash (blue bin) and recycling (yellow & blue bin) must be placed in the bins with the lids closed. No material outside the cart will be collected. Bins that do not close due to overflow will not be collected by the hauler, and removal becomes the responsibility of the tenant/homeowner.
• Two bulk items are permitted for curbside collection weekly. If additional bulk items are on the curb for pick-up, they will not be collected by the hauler.
• Move-outs and clean-outs are not included in municipal trash collection services. In these circumstances, residents must work with a private hauling service.
• Cardboard is not bulk waste. Cut, fold, or flatten cardboard to fit in the recycling bin, or place it in a box between your bins for recycling collection.
• Mattresses and box springs are not accepted as bulky waste as of 11/01/2022 due to a statewide disposal ban by the MassDEP. ALL residents, regardless of the number of units per building, can call our hauler, Capitol Waste, 1-855-533-3400, to pay for and schedule mattress and box spring collection.
• Businesses & Multi-Family Properties
  All businesses, institutions, and multi-family properties over 3 units are not entitled to Town of Winthrop curbside collection services and must make private arrangements.