Trash & Recycling Information

The Town has launched a new Mattress Recycling Program! LEARN MORE.

Use these quick links to find the section you're looking for: 

Trash schedule and rules
Important Dates
Curbside Recycling
Yard Waste
Other disposal programs (metal, hazardous waste, mattresses, mercury, fluorescent bulbs, textiles, more)
For Businesses
Beyond the Bin Search Tool

CAN I RECYCLE THIS?

Use this helpful tool to learn how to recycle items in your home.

WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAM

In 2021, the Town implemented a waste reduction program which:

• provides residents with one 35-gallon barrel to dispose trash in;
• requires residents to purchase overflow trash bags to dispose of excess trash;
• requires residents to purchase bulk item stickers to dispose of items such as couches, tables, etc. 

For answers to frequently asked questions about the plan, click here. 
 

TRASH SCHEDULE AND RULES

For a full list of streets and corresponding trash days, click here. Trash and recycling are picked up weekly by the Town's contracted hauler, JRM Hauling & Recycling. Your trash cart, bulk waste items, and recycle receptacles may be placed curbside for collection between 7 PM and 7 AM the evening before the scheduled collection and overflow bags no sooner than 5 AM the morning of the scheduled collection. Overflow bags must be contained indoors or in a sealed container until pick-up day. On pick-up day, overflow bags can be placed in a trash barrel of your choice, on top of your cart, or on the ground next to it.

BARRELS: Residents MUST use the Town issued 35-gallon barrel. Excess trash that cannot fit in the one barrel must be placed in overflow bags. Barrels must be left behind if a resident moves, as the barrels belong to the address, not the resident of that building. In case of animal damage to the cover of a Town issued barrel, residents can call the Town (Board of Health) to request a replacement cover.

OVERFLOW BAGS: Bags can be purchased for $15 for 5 bags. (Bags can be purchased in singles at $3/bag at Town Hall). Bags are available for purchase at these locations:

• Swampscott Town Hall: 22 Monument Avenue
• Stop & Shop: 450 Paradise Road
• JRH Services: 197 Essex Street
• Richdale Convenience Store: 585 Essex Street
• Whole Foods: 331 Paradise Road
• CVS: 413 Paradise Road 
• Walgreens: 505 Paradise Road

BULK ITEMS: Items that cannot fit into a uniform barrel or overflow bag with proper closure must be disposed of and paid for by the resident. Residents can purchase stickers to discard bulk items. (Limited to 1 Bulk item per week)

BULK BURNABLES: $20
Examples: table, toilet, sink, kitchen chair, book case, couch (3 person), love seat (note, mattresses are no longer accepted as bulk waste items. See the mattress recycling information below for info on how to purchase a sticker)
Purchase bulk stickers at the following locations:

• Online - click here to order.
• Swampscott Town Hall: 22 Monument Ave.
• Whole Foods: 331 Paradise Road
• Stop & Shop: 450 Paradise Road
• JRH Services: 197 Essex Street

WHITE GOODS: $30 
Examples: Stove, water heater

Contact the Town's contracted waste Hauler, Republic Service by calling 781-289-0500 or drop off items at Metal Recycling Day (last Saturday of each month, April through January between 8am-12pm at DPW yard, 200 Paradise Rd.) Callers will need to reference the account number for the Town of Swampscott: 0946777739

ITEMS WITH FREON: $50
Examples: Refrigerators, water coolers, air conditioners
Contact the Town’s waste contractor, Republic Service by calling 781-289-0500 or drop off items at metal recycling day (last Saturday of the month, April through January, DPW yard, 200 Paradise Rd). Callers will need to reference the account number for the Town of Swampscott: 0946777739

IMPORTANT DATES

2023 CHRISTMAS TREE PICK-UP
Trees will be picked up the week of January 9 on your normal trash day. Please remove any ornaments, tinsel, lights, etc.

2023 YARD WASTE SCHEDULE
Yard waste pickup will occur on your regularly scheduled collection day during the following weeks: 

April 24
June 5
July 24
September 11
October 16
November 13
December 11

CURBSIDE RECYCLING 

Swampscott residents are permitted unlimited curbside recycling services. All recyclables must be placed in a recycle barrel or bin that is clearly labeled as “RECYCLE” or has a large recycle symbol on the container. Barrels with lids are preferred over open bins.The Health Department can provide a large “recycle” sticker if you would like to use a non-conventional container. For more information about what is recyclable, view the following resources:

Check out these other resources that can be helpful when deciding how to recycle items:

• Swampscott Trash & Recycling Brochure
• Recyclopedia Search Tool - what can be recycled?
• Beyond the Bin Search Tool - The Beyond the Bin search tool is next level recycle searching.  Use it to find out how and where to donate or recycle items that can’t go in your home recycling bin and are too good to trash.

OTHER RECYCLING/DISPOSAL SERVICES

YARD WASTE: Yard waste pickup will occur on your regularly scheduled collection day during the following weeks of 2023: April 24, June 5, July 24, September 11, October 16, November 13, December 11

Yard waste must be placed in paper bags or barrels labeled as “Yard Waste” on your regular trash day.

• Acceptable Yard Waste includes: grass, leaves and tree/brush trimmings up to 1 inch thick. 
• Not Acceptable: soil, stumps, rocks, mulch, and trimmings more than 1 inch thick

COMPOSTING: In partnership with Black Earth Compost, the Town offers two free drop-off locations for composting organic waste: by the dog park behind the cemetery, and next to the Police Station. You must register to receive a code for the bin. To register and for information on what can and cannot be composted, click here. Black Earth also provides private curb-side residential pick-up services as well at cost. Visit blackearthcompost.com

MATTRESS RECYCLING: The Town of Swampscott offers a Mattress Recycling Program with the help of a Mass DEP grant. Residents can now purchase a $20 MATTRESS RECYCLING sticker at Town Hall Customer Service at 22 Monument Ave. or online at https://epay.cityhallsystems.com/. When you purchase a sticker online, the sticker will be mailed to you. Mattresses will be picked up on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month and properly disposed of in recycling.

• Mattresses must be left out by the curb on your property and must not block the sidewalk
• Box springs and mattresses can both be disposed of using one sticker
• Please do not leave mattress out more than 24 hours in advance of pick-up
• Mattress recycling stickers cannot be purchased from retailers - only online or at Town Hall
• Contact Health Dept prior to purchasing sticker if you know mattress/box spring has bed bugs, as we need to handle them differently

Note: Bulk stickers are not accepted anymore for mattress recycling.

Learn more about mattress recycling on the Mass DEP website.

STYROFOAM DROP-OFF: March thru December on the last Saturday of the month from 8am-12pm, DPW Yard at 200 Paradise Rd. Package styrofoam in trash bags if possible.  (note: styrofoam is not recycled)

METAL ITEM DROP-OFF: March thru December on the last Saturday of the month from 8am-12pm, - DPW Yard, 200 Paradise Rd. Call 781-596-8850 for dates. Here is a list of acceptable items.

MERCURY RECOVERY PROGRAM: Bring household fluorescent bulbs (CFL & SHOP up to 4-feet long), rechargeable batteries (lighter than 2 lbs.), mercury switches, thermostats/thermometers to the 3rd floor collection area in Town Hall.  Contact the Health Department 781-596-8864 for bulbs longer than 4 feet.

TEXTILES/CLOTHING/HOUSEHOLD GOODS: 

• SIMPLE RECYCLING: Discard unwanted clothing, accessories, or small household items by scheduling a pick-up. Items can be placed in a bag of any color or a cardboard box (up to 50 pounds) on your doorstep. For more information or to schedule a pickup, go here.

LOCAL DROP BOXES NEAR YOU
Help keep recyclable material out of your trash bin and the waste stream. You can find a list of local drop-off boxes for books, clothing and more here.

HAZARDOUS WASTE: Residential Household Hazardous Waste collection dates, registration links and fees are published here and communicated through the Town’s communication channels as they become available. UPDATE: 5/18/23 - next HHW drop-off event is scheduled for November 18, 2023. This will be a drop-off event mutually held with Marblehead and will be located in Marblehead.  Other options include NEDT in Sutton, Ma., CleanHarbors in Braintree, Ma, and Minuteman in Lexington, Ma.  It is recommended to check their websites for more information.

ELECTRONICS: Several retailers take back electronics for recycling/disposal.

• Staples Retail Stores
• Best Buy Retail Stores (Best Buy will take all flat panel TV’s and will take “box type (CRT’s)” (up to 32-inch screen size). Call store for details.)

Note: Do not confuse electronics with electrical appliances. If you have appliances that are metal and run on electricity (toaster, vacuum, microwave) please visit our metal item page.

APPLIANCES: National Grid has an appliance recycling service which aims to help residents get rid of outdated models that are not energy-efficient. Learn more about the program at Ngrid.com/recycling-ma.  

BATTERY / CELL PHONE RECYCLING You can find more information on how to dispose of button cell batteries, rechargeable batteries and cell phones here.  

MERCURY AND MERCURY-ADDED PRODUCTS Mercury-added products cannot be disposed of in trash. Find out more here what to do with items such as thermometers, button batteries, fluorescent lamps and more. 

DRUG TAKEBACK: The DEA holds several Drug Takeback Days during which different drop-off locations are set up around the country for individuals to drop off unused medications for proper disposal. The Swampscott Police Dept. often participates in these dates with a drop-off location set up at their station. View the full list of dates as well as a list of year-round drop-off locations here.

CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION DEBRIS: Construction and demolition debris are banned from landfills and will not be picked up curbside. You can find more information on pick-up and drop-off options here.

FOR BUSINESSES:

For guidance for businesses and institutions on trash, recycling, and food waste removal, click here.

CAN I RECYCLE THIS?

Use this helpful tool to learn how to recycle items in your home.

DOCUMENTS WITH MORE INFO