The City of Worcester provides recycling collection to residential buildings with 1 to 6 units. Buildings with 7 or more units must arrange their own recycling hauler, but residents of those 7 + unit buildings can still use the Residential Drop-Off Center for recycling and related programs.
Worcester Recycles Right Campaign
To counter the issue of increased contamination of recyclable materials in residents' bins, the City is relaunching the Worcester Recycles Right campaign.
In October and November 2026, City staff and volunteers will check bins in selected neighborhoods and share educational materials with residents. Beginning the week of November 9, citywide, the bins that contain items that aren't recyclable will not be picked up. Review the lists below or search the extensive Recycle Smart Recyclopedia to get answers to all your recycling-right questions!
Public Notice: Recycling Bins Are No Longer Given Out as of September 21, 2026
Due to limited supply, the City no longer provides recycling bins at any municipal sites as of September 21, 2026. Existing City-provided bins can continue to be used. If you need a new or additional bin, please use any durable, open-top, weatherproof container, such as a trash bin or tote from a local hardware or department store.
Containers must:
- Hold no more than 35 gallons.
- Be clearly labeled "Recycling."
We appreciate your patience as we work on a long-term solution that supports the goals of the Zero Waste Master Plan.
Schedule
Place your recycling and trash at the curb between 5 and 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. If a holiday falls on a weekday, collection is delayed by one day for the rest of that week.
Help Keep Worcester Clean! Please pick up any trash or recycling spilled on your street after collection. Small actions make a big difference.
What Goes In
Worcester's recycling is zero-sort, also called single-stream. You can put all accepted recyclables, including paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, and metal cans, in one bin instead of separating them by type. Please keep items clean and dry and make sure nothing falls or blows out of the bin.
Not sure what to do with an item? RecycleSmart.org has helpful resources:
- Search the Recycle Smart Recyclopedia to see if an item belongs in your recycling bin.
- Visit the Beyond the Bin Website to find where to donate or recycle items that are too good to trash.
Containers should be empty and clean.
- Glass bottles and jars used for food and beverages.
- Plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, and lids used in the kitchen, laundry, and bathroom.
- Aluminum and steel cans used for food and beverages.
- Clean aluminum foil and foil pans.
- Paper
- Mixed paper, such as newspaper, junk mail, magazines, catalogs, envelopes, office paper, and paper bags.
- Corrugated cardboard, with a wavy layer in the middle.
- Boxboard, such as dry-food boxes, paper egg cartons, and cardboard tubes.
Put these in the trash.
- Plastic bags, plastic film, and other flimsy plastics that clog sorting machinery.
- Items that tangle in sorting machinery, such as hoses, electrical wires, and chains.
- Styrofoam
- Wax-Coated Paper
- Bulky rigid plastics, such as toys.
- Disposable items, such as plastic cutlery, paper towels, and Styrofoam takeout containers.
- Ceramics and heat-resistant glass, such as Pyrex and other baking dishes.
- Medical waste, such as gloves and masks.
The following items can't go in your recycling bin or your trash, per waste ban law in Massachusetts. Keeping these items out of the trash keeps useful materials out of incineration so they can be reused or recycled.
Please check this webpage for locations and schedules or search Beyond the Bin for donation, reuse, and recycling options.
- Textiles: Clothing, Linens, etc.
- Electronics
- Scrap Metal and Metal Cookware
- Batteries and Aerosol Cans
- Yard Waste
Have a Question?
Recycling is not collected if it contains items that aren't accepted or if left in a plastic bag.
You have two options:
- Bring the materials back home, remove the items that aren't accepted, and put the bin out the following week.
- Take the accepted materials to the Residential Drop-Off Center at 1065 Millbury Street.
Plastic bags tangle in the sorting machinery at the recycling facility and are hazardous for workers to remove.
Check the lists above or search the Recycle Smart Recyclopedia search function on their website.
No. Our zero-sort system lets you put all accepted items such as plastic bottles, newspaper, and glass containers, in the same bin. Machines at the recycling facility sort the materials.
Yes, as long as the box is empty. Grease spots are okay. Pizza liners and pizza savers go in the trash. Cardboard and boxboard pizza boxes are accepted. Frozen pizza boxes are not, because they have a plastic or wax coating. To make sure the box is completely empty, fold it inside out before recycling it. Compost leftover food or put it in the trash.
Break down corrugated cardboard boxes into pieces no larger than 2 feet by 2 feet.
Existing City-provided bins can continue to be used. If you need a new or additional bin, use any durable, open-top, weatherproof container that holds no more than 35 gallons and is clearly labeled "Recycling." Recycling left in a plastic bag will not be collected.
Trash Disposal
Residents of Worcester can dispose of household waste via our pay as you throw Yellow Trash Bag program.
Bulk Waste Disposal
The Residential Drop-Off Center allows Worcester residents to dispose of a number of bulk waste items in a timely manner and at a low cost.
Contact Information
Address
Trash and Recycling
20 East Worcester Street
Worcester, MA 01604
Contact
Phone: 508-929-1300
Fax: 508-799-1448
311@worcesterma.gov
Hours
Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.