Mattress Disposal
Recycling mattresses is a state requirement as of November 1, 2022. The City of Boston does not collect mattresses or box springs with your curbside trash. You must schedule an appointment for curbside pick-up. The City only picks-up mattresses from residents who live in buildings with six units or fewer. If you live in a building with more than six units, you will need to contact your property manager for proper mattress disposal. To learn more, go to boston.gov and search for Mattress Recycling.
Trash
PLACE TRASH CURBSIDE in front of your address NO LATER THAN 6 A.M. ON YOUR COLLECTION DAY
• To view your collection schedule, download the Trash Day App on boston.gov.
• Wait until after 5 p.m. the evening before your collection day to bring containers curbside to avoid spillage and code violations.
All Trash Must Be Placed In heavy trash bags (Beacon Hill)
• If trash bags are being used, they should be 2 ply or .9 millimeter or greater plastic material
• Kitchen bags, grocery bags, or cardboard boxes cannot be used as trash bags.
Pickup Of Appliances: Refrigerators, Tvs, And Air Conditioners, Must Be Requested Through 311
• To schedule pickup of an appliance, call 311 or file a request through the app (see boston.gov)
Pickup Of Furniture
• Furniture can be put out with your normal curbside trash and recycling on your scheduled collection day.
Recycling
Place Recycling Curbside No Later Than 6 a.m. On Your Collection Day
• To view your collection schedule, download the Trash Day App on boston.gov.
• Wait until after 5 p.m. the evening before your collection day to bring containers curbside to avoid spillage and code violations.
• The City supplies large, 64-gallon recycling containers to residents of buildings with six units or fewer. Request a new bin from Boston 311.
• You can also use a smaller than 32-gallon trash can as a recycling bin with a sticker from Boston 311.
• Any cardboard that doesn’t fit in the blue bin must be flattened, bundled, tied with string, and placed directly next to your blue bin. Cardboard must not exceed 3 feet in length.
• TV boxes must be cut into smaller pieces and placed in bins or bundled and tied. They must NOT contain Styrofoam or plastic.
• Do NOT use cardboard boxes in place of recycling bins.
• Use the waste sorting tool on our Trash Day app at boston.gov to learn what you can and can’t recycle.
• Plastic shopping bags and black or white trash bags cannot be recycled.
• Heavy-duty clear plastic bags are ONLY allowed if you do not have enough space in specific neighborhoods. This includes Beacon Hill.
Food Waste
Please dispose of food waste separately from your trash to discourage rodent activity. Use your own Project Oscar individual bin (available from the City at no charge for buildings of 6 units or less) or use the recently installed public Food Waste bins next to the Cambridge Street Fire Station.
Make sure to close the lid and lock the public bin after you finish dropping off your food scraps. This helps prevent contamination and ensures that your food scraps are able to be composted. The bin can be accessed with the code 214.
Please reference the list below to see what is acceptable and what is not acceptable to compost in Project Oscar bins.
What You Can Compost
With Project Oscar
These items are accepted in the public composting bin:
• Fruit and vegetable scraps, peelings, pits, and seeds
• Eggshells and nutshells
• Rice, pasta, cereal
• Bread, pastries, cookies
• Meat, fish, bones
• Dairy products
• Cheese
• Coffee grounds and coffee filters
• Teabags
• Cut or dry flowers
• All World Centric products
• Napkins, paper towels, paper plates, paper bags
• Cardboard take-out containers (must have one of the following compost certifications: BPI, TUV, OK Compost and CMA)
• Wine corks
• Wooden coffee stirrers
• Compostable bags (must have one of the following compost certifications: BPI, TUV, OK Compost and CMA)
What You Cannot Compost
With Project Oscar
These items are NOT accepted in the public composting bin:
• Pizza Boxes
• Fats, grease, oils
• Pet waste
• Compostable diapers
• Cigarette butts
• Yard waste (go to boston.gov to find your leaf and yard waste schedule)
• Dryer lint, dryer sheets
• Styrofoam
• Plastic bags
• Charcoal
Upcoming BHCA Meetings
Zoning & Licensing Committee – Wednesday, September 3rd via Zoom, 6pm
First Friday Coffee Hour – September 5th, 8:30-9:30am, 74 Joy Street – John Ulrich, Assistant Commissioner at ISD will speak about the City’s BRAP program
Upcoming BHCA Events
Dinner Under the Stars – Saturday, September 27th, 6pm, flat of Mt. Vernon – tickets available online at bhcivic.org
Fall Hill Fest – Sunday, September 28th, 12-4pm, flat of Mt. Vernon
Save These Dates!
Evening at 74 – Wednesday, October 15th, 6pm, 74 Joy Street – a concert by Shelter Music Boston
Young Friends The Party in the Sky – Friday, October 17th, 7-10pm, UMass Club
Founders Reception – Thursday, November 6th, by invitation only
30th Annual Garlands & Greens – Wednesday, November 29th, 6-9pm, Hampshire House
Holiday Decorating – December 3, 6 and 7, Charles Street and the rest of the Hill
For further information on BHCA events and meetings, or to volunteer, please contact the BHCA office at 617-227-1922.
2025 Annual Appeal – Support the work we do for you!
The BHCA works every day to answer your calls and emails and respond to your concerns. We work with the city to improve life on Beacon Hill by advocating for brick repairs and repaving. We connect with utility companies to provide you with up-to-date information about how your address will be impacted. We are always available.
With your 2025 Annual Appeal donation, you can support this work we do for you.
Please make a tax-deductible gift today by visiting bhcivic.org or by mailing your contribution to the BHCA at 74 Joy Street, Boston MA 02114.
Together, we will keep Beacon Hill a thriving and connected community. We appreciate your ongoing support and our thanks to all who have already contributed!