Lynn trash and recycling: pickup, bulk items and holidays
How weekly trash, every‑other‑week recycling, bulky-item pickup and holiday delays work — and where to schedule drop-offs and report missed service.
Trash runs in Lynn happen once a week at the curb on your regular scheduled day; recycling is picked up every other week on that same day in color-coded carts. Here is how pickup works, what goes in the recycling cart and where to take bulky items.
How trash and recycling pickup is scheduled
Trash is collected weekly at the curb on your assigned day. Recycling follows an alternating schedule and is collected every other week on your regular trash day.
Recycling carts use two lid colors to show which week they go out: carts with a green lid are emptied on “green weeks” and carts with a blue lid on “blue weeks.” The DPW Collection/Disposal calendar (July–June) shows your pickup assignments, the color-coded recycling weeks and any one-day delays for observed holidays.
What belongs in the recycling cart
The city lists what can go into curbside recycling: clean, dry glass bottles and jars; plastic containers labeled #1–#5 and non-foam #6 and #7; aluminum, tin and steel cans; milk cartons and juice boxes; printed paper (newspapers, inserts, magazines, catalogs, phone books and office paper); paperboard like cereal and cracker boxes; and flattened corrugated cardboard smaller than 3 by 3 feet.
Do not put recyclables in plastic bags. Keep items free of food residue and moisture. Shredded paper should be placed with your regular trash rather than in the recycling cart.
Extra trash, carts and city-approved bags
If you have more trash than fits in your assigned 64‑gallon cart, you must either lease an extra cart from the city or use the city’s purple overflow bags (33 gallons; sold in packs of five). Containers or loose garbage not in an authorized cart or an approved overflow bag will not be collected.
The city sells and rents trash and recycling containers and enforces the ordinance that only authorized receptacles are eligible for pickup.
Yard waste, leaf weeks and seasonal collections
Yard debris is picked up only during the weeks the DPW designates for yard waste (those weeks are marked in brown or orange on the Collection/Disposal calendar). Collections happen on your usual trash day and are hauled by a separate vehicle.
Leaves, grass clippings and trimmed branches may be left at the curb in regular household containers or in paper yard-waste sacks; keep each container or bag under a 50‑pound limit and do not fill them with soil.
Bulky items and white goods — scheduling and drop-offs
Curbside bulky‑item pickup is provided through the city’s trash vendor, Capitol Waste, and requires scheduling with the vendor’s Lynn Hotline; a per‑item charge applies. The city notes Capitol Waste began curbside service July 1, 2024 and that DPW continues to oversee schedules and barrels.
White goods (large appliances) are part of a separate recycling program. The city says these appliances must be recycled through the program and that leaving them at the curb without arranging proper pickup is illegal and may result in a fine.
The DPW also holds Bulk Waste Item Days at Reworld (formerly Covanta), 247 Commercial Street, on dates shown on the DPW calendar. The next one is Saturday, Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to noon. Bulky items are free to drop off only on those days, and paint, hazardous materials and construction waste are not accepted.
DPW drop-off services and resident ID
Year‑round drop‑off services at the DPW site, 250 Commercial Street, take TVs and computer monitors ($25 each), propane tanks ($5 each) and mattresses ($35 each, since the state requires mattresses to be recycled); hours are Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–2:30 PM and Friday 8:30 AM–11:30 AM. Lynn residents must bring a driver’s license or other ID to use these services.
The city also runs free paper shredding days at the DPW, 250 Commercial Street. The next one is Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to noon; check the DPW calendar for what is accepted.
Holidays, delays and missed pickups
The DPW Collection/Disposal calendar marks observed holidays and any one‑day shifts in collection. If your pickup is delayed due to an observed holiday, the calendar will show the adjusted schedule.
If your trash or recycling is missed, a container is damaged, or you need a new bin or a repair, contact the Department of Public Works during business hours at 781‑268‑8000 or submit a request through the DPW Trash & Recycling request page online.
Before you go — who to call and what to check
To schedule curbside bulky pickup, contact the Capitol Waste Lynn Hotline at 1‑855‑533‑3400. For general service issues, cart leases, overflow bags or ordinance questions call the DPW mainline at 781‑268‑8000.
Always consult the DPW Collection/Disposal calendar for your exact pickup day, color week, yard‑waste weeks, bulky-item days and holiday changes. For more practical help around the city, see our Lynn guides, including where to vote in Lynn.
Sources: City of Lynn — DPW FAQs; City of Lynn — DPW Collection/Disposal Calendar 2026 (PDF); City of Lynn — Trash & Recycling Ordinance; City of Lynn — Bulky Waste & Curbside Pick Up; City of Lynn — Public Works (New Trash Vendor) and Bulky Waste page; City of Lynn — White Goods; City of Lynn — Collections and Dropoffs; City of Lynn — DPW.
