Massachusetts Waste Bans: What You Can't Put in the Trash
Mattresses, clothing, TVs, batteries, leaves and more are banned from Massachusetts trash. Here is the list, since when, and where each item goes instead.
Massachusetts has banned certain materials from landfills and trash incinerators for decades. Since November 1, 2022, the list has included two items almost everyone owns: mattresses and textiles. If you have ever wondered why your hauler left a tag on an old box spring, this is why.
The ban rules sit in MassDEP’s solid waste regulations (310 CMR 19.017). They are aimed at the facilities and haulers that handle trash, but they reach you at the curb: a hauler cannot take what is banned, and a town cannot accept it at the transfer station as trash.
Below, the list as published by MassDEP and by towns that summarize it, with where each item can go instead. Local programs differ, so check with your town for how and when.
What changed in November 2022
The state added mattresses and textiles to the ban on November 1, 2022. Mattresses covers mattresses and box springs of all sizes, including foam and latex, according to MassDEP’s hauler briefing; futons, sofa beds and air mattresses are not included. Textiles means clothing, linens, towels, shoes and accessories such as hats, gloves, belts, purses and handbags, according to the City of Cambridge. Needham’s guidance adds curtains, sheets, blankets and stuffed animals, even if stained or torn.
The same update lowered the commercial food waste threshold. Businesses and institutions that produce about half a ton (1,000 pounds) or more per week must divert it from trash. This one does not affect your household bin.
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The full list, and where things go
| Banned from trash | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Mattresses and box springs | Ask the retailer to haul the old one when delivering the new; use your town’s mattress pickup or recycling program (Cambridge, for example, has residents schedule a pickup through the city site); or use a mattress recycler. Do not leave one at the curb unless your town runs a scheduled pickup. |
| Textiles (clothes, linens, towels, shoes, bags) | Donate wearable items. For worn-out textiles, use a textile drop-off bin or town collection (Cambridge oversees 12 bins and offers a free home pickup). Items should be dry and bagged. |
| TVs and computer monitors (cathode ray tubes) | Take to a household hazardous waste or electronics collection day, a transfer station that accepts them, or a retailer or recycler. Do not put them out with trash. |
| Lead-acid batteries (car and boat batteries) | Return to the retailer or an auto parts store, or take to your transfer station or hazardous waste day. |
| Large appliances (“white goods”) | Ask the delivery company to haul the old one, schedule a town bulky pickup if offered, or use a scrap metal dealer. |
| Metal and glass and metal containers | Curbside recycling bin, or your town’s drop‑off. |
| Single-resin narrow-necked plastic containers (bottles and jugs) | Curbside recycling bin. |
| Recyclable paper, cardboard and paperboard | Curbside recycling, kept dry and flat. |
| Leaves and yard waste | Town yard waste pickup or compost site, or compost at home. |
| Whole tires (banned from landfills only) | Tire retailer, or the transfer station if it accepts them. |
| Asphalt, brick and concrete; clean gypsum wallboard | Renovation debris: use a private hauler or a transfer station that accepts construction material. |
| Treated and untreated wood (banned from landfills only) | Construction and demolition processors, or your town’s program. |
Textiles: what is and is not accepted
The textile ban surprises people most. A few practical points from the town and state summaries:
- Worn-out and torn items count, not just nice clothes, in some town summaries, such as Needham’s. Textile recyclers can often accept them, so ask what your bin takes.
- Dry and bagged. Items should be clean, dry and in a secure plastic bag.
- Contaminated textiles are exempt. Items with mold, bodily fluids, insects, oil or hazardous substances can go in the trash, according to reporting on the ban. Sources differ on stains, so if you are unsure, ask your town.
- Shoes and accessories are included, so a pair of worn sneakers is a textile.
What about electronics?
This is a common point of confusion. The MassDEP-listed ban covers cathode ray tubes, which are the old television and monitor tubes, not every electronic device. The town pages we read do not list flat-screen TVs, laptops or phones as banned. That does not mean they belong in the bin. Many contain materials that should be recycled, and towns commonly run electronics collection days or accept them at the transfer station, sometimes for a fee. Check with your town before you throw one away.
Who enforces it?
The ban is enforced at the facility level. MassDEP requires every Massachusetts waste disposal facility to file a waste ban compliance plan, and haulers and generators both share responsibility. In practice, you will most often meet the ban as a refusal: a collection crew leaves your mattress behind, a transfer station turns it away, or a hauler tags a bag. We did not find a posted household fine in the sources we read, so check with your own town.
Where to look for your town’s rules
Every town runs this differently. Look for the following on your town’s trash and recycling page:
- A bulky item or mattress pickup, and whether it is free or requires a sticker.
- A textile bin or collection program.
- The transfer station or recycling center’s accepted-item list, hours and any permit.
- Hazardous waste and electronics collection days, which are usually scheduled in spring and fall.
If you are clearing out a house, hauling services can take most of these items, but ask whether they recycle or donate what they remove.
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Sources
- MassDEP: Waste Disposal Bansmass.gov
- City of Cambridge: Textiles and mattresses banned from trashcambridgema.gov
- Town of Needham: Waste ban itemsneedhamma.gov
- City of Framingham: Solid waste, banned materialsframinghamma.gov
- Somerville: Massachusetts expands waste disposal ban to mattresses and textilessomervillema.gov
Details such as dates, hours and prices come from the sources above and can change. Check with the organizer before you go.
