Cambridge Trash Pickup, Recycling, Compost & Yard Waste Schedule 2026
A resident-first Cambridge MA trash pickup guide for finding your weekly collection district, using the address schedule tool, setting carts out correctly, handling holiday delays, reporting missed pickup, scheduling large items, recycling mattresses and textiles, and using the DPW Recycling Center at 147 Hampshire Street.
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Cambridge trash pickup schedule garbage collection is based on the City’s five collection districts: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Cambridge DPW provides weekly curbside pickup of trash, recycling, compost and yard waste for most residential buildings. Use the official Recycling and Trash Schedule / Collection Reminders tool, type your address, and confirm your specific pickup day and holiday changes.
Place curbside carts out after 6:00 PM the night before or by 7:00 AM on collection day. Remove carts from the sidewalk by 6:00 PM after collection. Trash in plastic bags should only be placed at the curb on the morning of collection, not the night before.
Cambridge Trash Pickup Day Lookup — Find Your Address in the Official Schedule Tool
The official Cambridge schedule tool is the safest way to find your trash day because it shows your address-specific collection schedule, holiday shifts, recycling, compost, yard waste, special collection days and service alerts. The City’s route PDF also shows Cambridge divided into Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday collection districts.
Open the official collection schedule tool
Use CambridgeMA.gov/CollectionReminders or the curbside collections page. The tool lets residents type an address and see the collection schedule for that property.
Enter your exact Cambridge address
Use the building address where carts are collected. This is especially important for apartments, multi-unit buildings, alleys and dense streets where nearby addresses may not follow what you assume.
Check holiday shifts and alerts
The tool can show shifted days after holidays and can provide reminders or service alerts for weather delays and schedule changes.
Save reminders
Import the collection calendar to Google, Apple or Outlook calendar, print the year’s schedule, or sign up for reminders so you do not forget recycling, compost or holiday delays.
Official lookup: Use the Cambridge curbside collections page and the collection reminder schedule tool before relying on a screenshot or old printed calendar.
Open Official PageCambridge Pickup Morning Checklist — What I Would Check Before Leaving the House
Cambridge is dense, walkable and full of apartments, narrow sidewalks, parked cars, snow piles and mixed-use buildings. A collection mistake is often not about the calendar; it is about timing, carts, bags, space and sorting.
- Confirm your day in the official address tool.
- Place carts at the curb after 6 PM the night before or by 7 AM.
- Remove carts from the sidewalk by 6 PM after pickup.
- Use City-issued carts for trash, recycling and food waste where available.
- Keep sidewalks and curb access clear for pedestrians and crews.
- Do not put loose trash bags out the night before.
- Ask the building manager where carts must be stored and set out.
- Check whether your building has food waste carts.
- Large buildings may need building-manager help for food waste setup.
- Do not place furniture, mattresses or electronics outside without checking permits.
- Use 311 / SeeClickFix for problems like missed pickup or overflowing public issues.
- Use the Get Rid of It Right tool before dumping unusual items.
Cambridge micro-tip: If your block has tight sidewalks or snow banks, set carts where crews can reach them without forcing pedestrians into the street. Blocked access can make a correct pickup day look like a missed pickup.
Cambridge Collection Districts — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Routes
Cambridge DPW’s route PDF shows the City divided into five collection districts. The district map is useful for understanding the general pattern, but the address lookup tool is still the best final answer because it includes holiday shifts and special collection days.
| District Day | What the Route Map Means | What to Confirm | Resident Mistake to Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Weekly collection district shown on Cambridge route map. | Address tool and holiday delays. | Assuming a Monday holiday never changes the week. |
| Tuesday | Weekly collection district shown on Cambridge route map. | Whether Monday holiday pushed service back. | Putting carts out on old timing after holiday. |
| Wednesday | Weekly collection district shown on Cambridge route map. | Trash, recycling, compost and yard waste schedule. | Thinking one truck means all streams are complete. |
| Thursday | Weekly collection district shown on Cambridge route map. | Large item permit dates if needed. | Putting permit items out on normal day without checking. |
| Friday | Weekly collection district shown on Cambridge route map. | Holiday and weather delays. | Forgetting that a Friday delay may push pickup later. |
Best use of the map: Treat the district map as a backup visual. Treat the address schedule tool as the source for your exact collection day, special days and reminders.
Cambridge Garbage Collection Rules — Trash Carts, Excess Bags and Rodent-Safe Set-Out
Cambridge asks residents to place trash in City-issued carts. Excess trash must be placed in heavy-duty bags at least 3 mils thick, must weigh less than 50 pounds, should not contain food items, and should be placed next to the trash cart on the morning of collection only.
- Use City-issued trash carts.
- Put carts out after 6 PM the night before or by 7 AM.
- Remove carts from the sidewalk by 6 PM after collection.
- Put excess heavy-duty trash bags out only on collection morning.
- Keep food waste in locking compost carts instead of trash when possible.
- Do not place loose trash bags out overnight.
- Do not put food scraps in excess trash bags.
- Do not use weak kitchen bags for overflow trash.
- Do not leave carts blocking sidewalks after pickup.
- Do not place textiles or mattresses in regular trash.
Rodent-control reality: Cambridge specifically promotes locking food waste carts as a better defense against rodents than trash carts. If you leave food scraps in loose bags, you are making the weekly pickup problem worse for your block.
Cambridge Recycling Schedule — What Goes in the Blue Cart and What Should Stay Out
Cambridge recycling is collected weekly with the curbside program. The City’s waste guide lists metal cans and foil, glass bottles and jars, plastic containers, paper and cardboard as recyclable. Cardboard should be flattened. Recycling is mandatory in Massachusetts, but that does not mean every item with a recycling symbol belongs in the cart.
- Metal cans and foil.
- Glass bottles and jars.
- Plastic containers.
- Paper and cardboard.
- Flattened boxes.
- Plastic bags, plastic film and wrappers.
- Food or liquids.
- Hoses, cables and hangers.
- Electronics.
- Wet or heavily food-contaminated material.
Unsure about an item? Use Cambridge’s Get Rid of It Right tool or the Zero Waste Cambridge app before putting it into the recycling cart.
Get Rid of It RightCambridge Compost Pickup — Food Scraps, Locking Carts and Building Setup
Cambridge provides curbside food waste pickup and says citywide food waste pickup began in 2018. DPW notes that separating food waste is cleaner, more rodent resistant, climate friendly, and less expensive than sending food waste to trash. Cambridge accepts all food scraps, including meat, bones and shells.
- Fruits and vegetables, pits, cores and peels.
- Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, bones and shells.
- Dairy, but no liquids.
- Bread, grains and leftovers.
- Tea bags, coffee grounds and filters.
- Napkins, paper towels and cut flowers.
- Compostable bags.
- All residents may pick up a free kitchen bin at Cambridge DPW during open hours.
- Buildings with fewer than 13 units can request delivery of a kitchen bin.
- Buildings over 12 units should ask the building manager or email DPW.
- Use the green food waste cart at your building or a city drop-off location.
- Lock the cart to help keep rodents out.
Compost contamination warning: Cambridge says no containers or packaging are accepted in food waste, even if the item says “compostable.” Food scraps and approved paper items are the safe path.
Cambridge Yard Waste Pickup — April 1 Through December 31 Rules
Cambridge collects yard waste from April 1 through December 31. Use paper leaf bags or barrels with City-issued stickers. Limbs and twigs must be shorter than 3 feet. Plastic bags and soil are not accepted as yard waste.
| Yard Waste Item | How to Prepare | Accepted? | Resident Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Paper leaf bags or stickered barrels | Yes | Keep bags dry when possible. |
| Small limbs and twigs | Shorter than 3 feet | Yes | Cut before set-out. |
| Christmas trees | Collected first two weeks in January | Yes | Remove decorations first. |
| Plastic bags | Not accepted | No | Transfer material to paper bags or stickered barrels. |
| Soil | Not accepted | No | Use another disposal path. |
Seasonal tip: If you move into Cambridge in winter, do not expect regular yard waste pickup until April 1. Christmas tree pickup is a separate seasonal collection during the first two weeks of January.
Cambridge Large Item Pickup — Furniture, Appliances, Mattresses, TVs and Permit Rules
Cambridge large item rules are not one-size-fits-all. Some items such as couches and dressers do not require a permit, while items such as mattresses, TVs and appliances require a permit or separate scheduling. Use the Get Rid of It Right tool before putting anything large at the curb.
- Furniture such as couches and tables, generally one piece per week on trash day.
- Carpet or lumber, residential only, up to 3 tied bundles measuring 3 ft x 3 ft x 1 ft.
- Small electronics such as microwaves, stereos, box fans, small printers or fax machines.
- One toilet or sink per household on collection day.
- Small TVs or computer monitors 20 inches or less diagonally.
- Air conditioners and dehumidifiers.
- Clothes washers and dryers.
- Refrigerators and freezers, doors removed and non-commercial.
- Stoves, trash compactors, water coolers and heaters.
- TVs and computer monitors over 20 inches diagonally.
- Mattresses and box springs: free, but scheduled separately.
Permit timing: Cambridge says most large items are scheduled for Wednesdays or Thursdays. Place items curbside by 7 AM on your collection day or after 6 PM the night before.
Large Item RulesMassachusetts ban note: Textiles and mattresses are banned from trash disposal in Massachusetts. Cambridge offers separate textile and mattress recycling paths, so do not treat those items like normal garbage.
Cambridge Recycling Center — 147 Hampshire Street Hours and Accepted Items
The Cambridge Recycling Center is located at 147 Hampshire Street, in the back right corner of the Public Works yard. It is open to Cambridge residents and accepts many items that are not accepted in curbside recycling.
- Fluorescent bulbs.
- Mercury items such as thermometers and thermostats.
- Batteries, sorted as requested.
- Small electronics, computers, cell phones and string lights.
- Plastic bags accepted under listed plastic-film guidance.
- Books, scrap metal, bulky plastics and printer cartridges.
- Trash.
- Propane tanks; use household hazardous waste events.
- Appliances that require the large-item permit process.
- Large quantities without contacting DPW first.
Map — Cambridge DPW / Recycling Center
Missed Trash Pickup Cambridge MA — When to Report and What to Check First
Cambridge tells residents to report missed pickups after 4 PM on collection day or before 9 AM on the day after pickup. Before reporting, confirm that your carts were out on time, that the week was not delayed by a holiday or weather alert, and that you placed the correct material stream at the curb.
Check the schedule tool
Confirm your normal day and whether a holiday or service alert shifted collection.
Wait until after 4 PM
Do not report too early. Trucks may still be finishing routes.
Check stream-specific pickup
Trash, recycling, compost and yard waste can be handled separately. One truck may arrive before another.
Report through 311 / SeeClickFix
Use CambridgeMA.gov/311, SeeClickFix, or DPW contact options. Provide your address, collection day, material type and whether the cart is still curbside.
Official missed pickup path: Report after 4 PM on collection day or before 9 AM the following morning.
Missed Pickup InfoCambridge Holiday Trash Pickup Schedule — One Day Behind After a Holiday
The Cambridge curbside page notes weekly collections are one day behind schedule following a holiday. The schedule PDF says residents can use the collection schedule tool for holiday schedules, weather delays and real-time service alerts. During snow or other severe weather, check CambridgeMA.gov/Snow and the collection reminder alerts before setting carts out.
| Situation | What Usually Happens | Resident Action |
|---|---|---|
| City holiday on your normal collection day | Collection may be suspended and one day behind for the rest of the week. | Use the address schedule tool for the shifted day. |
| Holiday not affecting your route | Your day may remain normal. | Do not change your set-out without checking the tool. |
| Snow or severe weather delay | Collection may shift because crews cannot safely access streets. | Check CambridgeMA.gov/Snow and service alerts. |
| Large item permit week | Large item pickup may be on Wednesday or Thursday. | Follow the specific permit or mattress collection date. |
Holiday-week habit: If your normal collection is Friday and there was a Monday holiday, do not guess. Use the schedule tool because a one-day-behind week can push later-week routes.
Related Trash Pickup Guides — Holiday, Bulk, Recycling and Schedule Lookup Help
Use these related trash-pickup.org guides to compare different city pickup systems, holiday delay rules, bulk pickup requirements, recycling programs and missed pickup reporting paths.
Internal-link note: After publishing this Cambridge page, link back to it from Massachusetts, holiday delay, mattress/bulk item and recycling pages to reduce orphan-page risk and strengthen topical connections.
Cambridge Trash Pickup FAQ — Local Questions Residents Actually Ask
Source Verification and Editorial Note
Independent information guide — not affiliated with the City of Cambridge. trash-pickup.org is a public information resource. We do not operate Cambridge DPW trucks, trash carts, recycling carts, compost collection, yard waste collection, mattress recycling, permits, 311, SeeClickFix, or the Recycling Center.
Pickup timing, curbside rules, missed pickup guidance, large item permit notes, recycling center hours, compost rules, yard waste season and DPW contacts were checked against official City of Cambridge sources as of May 2026. Schedules can change because of holidays, snow, service alerts, route updates or official corrections. Always verify with Cambridge DPW before acting.
Official Sources — Verified May 2026
- City of Cambridge — Curbside Collections
- City of Cambridge — Waste Collection Schedule, Route and Holiday List
- City of Cambridge — Waste Guide PDF
- City of Cambridge — Curbside Food Waste Pickup
- City of Cambridge — Furniture, Appliance and Large Item Disposal
- City of Cambridge — Mattress Recycling
- City of Cambridge — Recycling Center
- City of Cambridge — Clothing and Textiles Recycling
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