Trash Talk

How to keep the streets clean and avoid fines

Moving into a dense neighborhood means everyone has to do their part to keep the streets clean and pest-free. In Mission Hill, the city’s standard trash and recycling collections occur on Tuesdays and Fridays. The City of Boston is strict about the timeline for curbside disposal: you must wait until after 5:00 p.m. on the evening before your collection day to place your containers on the curb. Putting them out any earlier, or leaving empty bins out overnight after collection, can earn you a quick $25 fine from the city’s Code Enforcement Division. Furthermore, all trash must be placed inside a barrel with a secure lid, or in thick, heavy-duty plastic bags; utilizing standard thin kitchen garbage bags, grocery bags, or cardboard boxes is against the rules and will also result in a fine. If you have large furniture items to ditch, you cannot just leave them on the sidewalk. You must schedule a special pickup appointment through the BOS:311 app or website, and households are limited to 10 bulk items per calendar year.