Frequently Asked Questions

All residents are permitted to utilize one (1) Town-issued trash bin and one (1) Town-issued recycling bin per unit, per dwelling. 

• Bins are Town property. Bins are to remain at the assigned address. Please label each bin with your address and unit number. 
• All trash and recycling should be neatly stored in your Town-provided bins on your property. 
• Do not alter your Town-issued bins. Town bins must be identifiable by the hauler for collection.
• All trash is to be bagged inside the trash bin.
• All recyclables are to be unbagged, and free-flowing in the recycling bin. 
• Any trash that does not fit in your closed  town-issued trash bin must be in a Town of Winthrop Pay-As-You-Throw Overflow Trash Bag. These bags must placed inside a covered bin supplied by the resident. The hauler will not collect any trash placed for pickup not following these policies. The uncollected trash/recycling becomes the responsibility of the homeowner/tenant. Fines may be accessed.
• Bags/items placed on the curb WILL NOT be collected.
• These bags are for household trash only. Do not place hazardous waste, yard waste, recyclables, construction debris, hazardous waste, textiles, or banned materials in these bags.  
• Overflow bags are sold in sleeves of 5 bags for $15.00. 
• Bags are available at the DPW, Town Hall, Cumberland Farms, T&T, and QuickFood Mart.  

Please note: Bug-infested items and rain-soaked items may be rejected by the hauler for pickup. You will need a private hauler for your item if this occurs. Items outdoors to be given away for FREE must be on your property and not on any public sidewalk or way. Items not taken after 48 hours need to be removed. Violations of solid waste ordinances and regulations will result in trash or recycling being rejected and a violation or fine may be added.

Town trash collection is limited to one, two, and three-family residences only. The weekly limit is 1 trash and 1 recycling bin, per unit, per dwelling. So a single-family home has one trash and recycling bin. A two-family and a three-family building has a set for each unit. All bins must fully close and private-use containers for PAYT overflow bags must also have a cover, which closes fully. The use of a privately owned bin is allowed. Private bins can be used only with the purchase of Town of Winthrop Overflow bags. No bags may be left on the curb outside of a bin. Current sales locations are available on the town website. Orange bulk sticker items, limit of 2 per household weekly, must have the sticker attached for collection or the item will be refused.

Any bins/items placed curbside that do not follow these regulations will not be collected by the hauler. These refused items/bins become the responsibility of the tenant/homeowner. The maximum weight per container is 50 pounds.

Any items from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Banned Waste List are prohibited from trash disposal. This list now includes all textiles, mattresses, and box springs. Bulk item stickers will not be accepted for any mattress or box spring. Email Capitol Waste or call 617-569-1718 to arrange for payment and collection of a mattress or box spring. Bulk Items without a bulk item sticker will not be collected. Any item over 26 inches tall or 30 inches wide is considered a bulk item.

The following are not accepted as trash but can be picked up curbside (year-round) on the third Tuesday of every month only, with the purchase of a Bulk Waste Sticker(s) online. Freezers, refrigerators, air conditioners Stoves, washers, dryers, hot water tanks, etc. are considered "White Goods." CRTs and TVs, video games and consoles, Automobile Engines and Parts, Rocks, Construction Debris and Materials, Yard Waste, Tree Trunks and Limbs, and Hazardous Material (gasoline, explosives, compressed gases, toxic or volatile chemicals, radioactive materials, pathological waste, etc.) are not accepted for trash pick up. Violations are punishable by a fine.

See the Household Hazardous Waste section for information on the Towns Recycling event for the disposal of Hazardous Household Waste items.

Trash pick up is one day late on holiday weeks. The following holidays are observed: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Patriot's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Learn about recycling holiday items (PDF).