Can you recycle plastic bags in Boston, MA?

Not in your recycling cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Boston Public Works uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your trash.

What do I do with batteries in Boston, MA?

Batteries never go in any of your Boston, MA carts — not the recycling cart, not the trash. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

Recycling rules in Boston, MA

📍 City of Boston Public Works · 2-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Boston, MA

Boston, MA collects its own residential waste: City of Boston Public Works operates the carts directly rather than contracting the route to a private hauler. Households get two carts — a recycling cart for recyclables and a trash for everything else. There is no curbside compost cart, so food scraps and food-soiled paper go in the trash.

That two-cart setup is the norm for most of the country — curbside food-scrap collection remains rare outside California and a handful of West Coast and Northeast cities.

The quick answer for Boston, MA

Plastic bottles & jugs	♻️ Recycling cart	Empty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans	♻️ Recycling cart	Give them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard	♻️ Recycling cart	Clean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars	♻️ Recycling cart	Lids off.
Food scraps	🗑️ Trash	No curbside compost cart here.
Greasy pizza box	🗑️ Trash	No curbside compost cart here.
Plastic bags & film	🗑️ Trash	Store drop-off is better.
Batteries	⚠️ Hazardous	Never curbside — tape the terminals.

This is the short list. The full A–Z of what is and isn't recyclable is on what can I recycle? — or scan the item and get the answer for Boston, MA directly.

📷 Scan an item

Boston, MA recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Boston, MA?: Not in your recycling cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Boston Public Works uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your trash.
What do I do with batteries in Boston, MA?: Batteries never go in any of your Boston, MA carts — not the recycling cart, not the trash. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

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Still not sure?

Rules vary by material and by hauler, and the sorting line is strict — one wrong item can contaminate a whole load. When in doubt, point your camera at the item for a verdict, or check the official City of Boston Public Works guide.