Trash and Recycling Collection Schedules in Fitchburg, MA

Fitchburg is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts with around 40,000 residents. Like most municipalities, Fitchburg provides trash and recycling collection services to residents. This article will cover everything you need to know about trash and recycling schedules, policies, and services in Fitchburg.

Overview of Trash and Recycling Services

The Fitchburg Health Department oversees trash and recycling services in the city. Curbside collection of trash, recycling, yard waste, and bulky items is provided to all single family homes and multi-family buildings with 8 units or less.

Fitchburg utilizes a cart system for trash and recycling. All households receive one 96-gallon recycling cart and one 35-gallon trash cart for free. Larger 64-gallon and 96-gallon trash carts can be leased for an annual fee. Extra recycling carts are available for a one-time purchase fee. Damaged or stolen carts can be replaced for a fee.

Recycling is mandatory in Fitchburg. The city aims to reduce contamination in the recycling stream, so residents must follow recycling guidelines on what can and cannot be placed in the recycling carts.

Curbside collection is performed by contracted haulers on set schedules depending on your neighborhood. Yard waste like leaves and branches is collected seasonally. Bulky items like furniture can be scheduled for special pickup for a per-item fee.

Trash and Recycling Collection Schedules

Trash and recycling collection happens once per week on a set schedule depending on where you live in Fitchburg. You can look up your personalized collection calendar by entering your address on the Fitchburg Trash & Recycling Tool website.

The collection schedule is also available to download as a PDF calendar or mobile app for Android and iOS devices. The mobile app provides collection reminders and notifications about service changes.

As a general rule, here are the collection days for different areas of Fitchburg:

• Monday: North of Main Street
• Tuesday: South of Main Street and west of South Street
• Wednesday: South of Main Street and east of South Street
• Thursday: Upper Prichard Street north to Ashburnham town line
• Friday: South Prichard Street south to Westminster town line

No collections occur on holidays. Pickups are delayed by one day after Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Trash and recycling carts should be placed curbside before 7AM on your pickup day. Carts must be removed from the curb by the end of the collection day.

Recycling Policies

Recycling is mandatory for all residential properties in Fitchburg. Only approved recyclable materials can be placed in the recycling carts. Common contaminants that are prohibited include:

• Plastic bags and plastic films
• Pizza boxes with food and plastic/wax liners
• Clothing, textiles, fabrics
• Non-recyclable plastics without a number symbol
• Foam packaging and food containers
• Wood scraps, carpets, furniture
• CRT monitors and televisions
• Hazardous waste like chemicals, batteries, lightbulbs

Acceptable paper recyclables include cardboard, newspaper, office paper, magazines, junk mail, paper bags, milk and juice cartons, and clean pizza boxes.

Acceptable container recyclables include glass bottles and jars, aluminum cans and foil, steel cans, plastic bottles and jugs with number symbols, and empty aerosol cans.

Yard waste like leaves, grass clippings, weeds, and branches must be placed in paper bags or open containers labeled as “yard waste.” No plastic bags allowed.

For anything not accepted in the recycling carts, residents can use the Recycle Smart MA website to look up proper disposal methods.

Yard Waste Collection

Yard waste collection occurs seasonally in Fitchburg for leaves, grass clippings, weeds, pruning debris, and branches. From April 1 to December 1, yard waste in paper bags or open containers is collected curbside on your normal trash day.

From December 1 to April 1, yard waste collection stops. Residents must either compost yard waste on their property or bring it to the Fitchburg Landfill themselves during this period.

The city also collects Christmas trees curbside for two weeks in January. Check the collection schedule for exact dates. Trees over 6 feet tall must be cut in half. All decorations and stands must be removed.

Bulky Item Collection

Bulky items are large objects like furniture, mattresses, carpets, and appliances that don’t fit inside the regular trash carts.

Fitchburg residents can schedule curbside collection of bulky items through the city’s online payment system or by visiting the Health Department. The collection fee is $20 per item.

As of November 2022, mattresses and box springs cannot be disposed as normal trash in Massachusetts. Fitchburg offers recycling options:

• Drop off at Tough Stuff Recycling for $25 per item
• Drop off at Fitchburg Landfill for $35 per item
• Curbside pickup by Tough Stuff Recycling for $45 per item

Other bulky items that are banned from disposal in Massachusetts include CRTs, lead acid batteries, and white goods (large appliances). See the Fitchburg recycling guidelines for proper disposal methods.

Household Hazardous Waste

Household hazardous waste (HHW) includes chemical products like cleaners, oils, pesticides, and automotive fluids. HHW cannot be disposed in your regular trash.

Fitchburg residents can properly dispose of HHW at the following regional facilities:

• Devens Regional Household Hazardous Products Collection Center (by appointment only)
• Winchendon Household Hazardous Waste Collection (limited days)

Latex paint is not accepted. Once dried out, latex paint cans can be placed in the regular trash with the lids removed.

The city also holds occasional HHW collection days – check the Fitchburg website for announcements.

Fitchburg Recycling Center and Landfill

The Fitchburg Recycling Center and Landfill is located on Route 31 south of Route 2. The facility is open to residents with permits:

• Recycling permit: Allows dropoff of recycling only. Available for free to all residents.
• Landfill permit: Allows dropoff of trash/bulk items. Annual fee of $150 for first vehicle and $50 for additional vehicles.

The drop-off center accepts recycling, trash, yard waste, bulky items, metals, tires, mattresses, and other materials. Restrictions apply to commercial vehicles and out-of-town residents. Hazardous waste is prohibited.

Recycling drop-off is free if properly sorted into commodities like paper, cardboard, cans, bottles, etc. Trash/bulk item dropoff requires a landfill permit and fees which vary based on content. Mattress recycling drop-off is $35 per item.

Permits can be obtained at the Fitchburg Health Department office and online.

Contact Information for Fitchburg Trash and Recycling

For questions about trash and recycling policies, schedules, and services in Fitchburg, contact:

Fitchburg Health Department

Physical Address:
718 Main St
Fitchburg, MA 01420

Phone: (978) 829-1870

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.fitchburgma.gov/health