Curbside Collection Rules

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,3: pm Jul 8, 2026,3: pm

Important Information

• All Trash and Recycling must be placed curbside by 7AM. Delays, Road Closures, Road Work, and other unforeseen events can affect route times and pickups.
• All carts are the property of the Town and shall remain at the property to which they were delivered.
• Stolen carts should be reported to the Norwell Police Department.
• Please call the Norwell Highway Department for any cart repairs (781) 659-8042.
• Lids on carts must be fully closed for collection and to prevent litter in your neighborhood.
• Residents should mark their carts with their house # to avoid any confusion with neighbors. This is extremely important for homes that have shared driveways or Private Ways. Mailbox sticker #s work great or a permanent marker.

Curbside Trash

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,3: pm Jul 8, 2026,3: pm

• All regular household trash must be properly bagged and securely tied for collection.
• Residents may place 1 (one) NON-PAYT trash bag no greater than 35-gallons out for collection if they are not utilizing the provided 35-gallon cart. * Residents with shared driveways or Private Ways with collection at the entrance should mark their house # on the bag using a permanent marker so the driver can easily identify it.
• Residents that utilize the provided 35-gallon cart must have all trash bagged utilizing NON-PAYT bags. The cart lid must be fully closed.
• All additional trash in excess of the 35-gallon cart or 1 (one) NON-PAYT bag not utilizing the provided cart must be placed in official pay-as-you-throw bags (PAYT).
• Residents may use private containers for PAYT bags in excess of the provided 35-gallon cart.
• The 35-gallon town provided trash cart and its contents are not to exceed 50 lbs.
• PAYT bags placed outside of private containers are not to exceed 30 lbs.
• Private containers with PAYT bags and their contents are not to exceed 50 lbs.
• Private containers are not to exceed 39-gallons in size.
• Automated private containers are not required for PAYT bags. 
• Only plastic or non-rusting metal barrels, watertight, with handles and tight fitting covers shall be suitable private containers for the disposal of PAYT bags.

Curbside Recycling

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,3: pm Jul 8, 2026,3: pm

• Residents are provided with a 64-gallon blue cart with yellow lid for household single stream recycling.
• Single Stream Recycling requires no sorting, all acceptable items are placed loose in your provided cart.
• Properly breaking down cardboard, paperboard, and crushing water bottles, soda cans, and milk jugs creates more space and can utilize your 64-gallon recycling cart to its full capacity.
• Your recycling container should be placed curbside every week on the same day as your regular trash collection.
• All recycling must be placed in the cart for collection. 
• Any items left outside the cart will NOT be collected.
• Household Single Stream Recycling is also available for drop-off at our Recycling Center during hours of operation for residents with overflow household single stream recycling or as an alternative to the provided 64-gallon recycling cart used for curbside collection.
• Drop-off Single Stream Recycling at our Recycling Center is emptied into our dedicated Single Stream Recycling dumpsters loosely and there is no sorting required.
• Recycling that is bagged will not be accepted for collection curbside or drop-off.
• The use of paper bags is acceptable for holding shredded paper.

Curbside Cart Placement

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,3: pm Jul 8, 2026,3: pm

• Most collection trucks are automated with an electronic arm that lifts and empties the cart. This efficient process streamlines and speeds collection and prevents driver injuries.
• The collection truck needs clear, close access to the cart so the automatic arm can reach and lift the cart.
• Consider the three-foot rule; there should be three feet between carts and structures such as mail boxes, cars and lamp posts. Damage can occur to public and private property if the carts are too close to physical property.
• Please place carts at least 3 feet apart so they do not get knocked over.
• Carts should be within 36 inches of the curb or edge of  the roadway pavement.
• Position the cart on as level of surface as possible, away from overhanging tree branches.

Private Roads/Ways

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,3: pm Jul 8, 2026,3: pm

• Operators have the discretion not to enter roads as weather or other conditions dictate.
• Road's grade, banks and curves must permit safe and efficient operations.
• The roadway must provide appropriate width and height clearance from trees, shrubs, and utility lines for equipment.
• Roads must have enough space in the turn-around to minimize the need for backing up.
• Roads must be regularly maintained, have snow and ice removed, and have adequate surfaces able to handle heavy equipment without causing damage to equipment.
• Private Roads/Ways that do not meet these requirements must place all Trash & Recycling at the beginning of the Private Road/Way where it meets a public street and carts must follow proper placement.

Winter Tips

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,3: pm Jul 8, 2026,3: pm

• Clear out an area for your carts, leaving about 18 inches of space around them to allow room for the truck's arm.
• Do Not place carts on or in snow piles as they tip over and litter your neighborhood. Carts placed on or in snowpiles present difficulties servicing and returning your carts after emptying.
• Do Not place carts in the street. This is a hazard for vehicles and carts could be destroyed by snow plows.

Curbside Collection Schedule

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,4: pm Jul 8, 2026,4: pm

• New Year's Day - Thursday, January 1, 2026
• Memorial Day - Monday, May 25, 2026
• Labor Day - Monday September 7, 2026
• Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 26, 2026
• Christmas Day - Friday, December 25, 2026

Observed holidays which fall on a normal collection day will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.

PAYT Bag Information

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,6: pm Jul 8, 2026,6: pm

Official Town of Norwell PAYT (Overflow Trash) bag Retailer List:

PAYT Bag Specifications:

These bags are sold only in Sleeves of 5 32-gallon bags at a set price of $10.00 a Sleeve. MA Sales Tax is not applied. Retailers may not mark up the unit cost set by the Town of Norwell.

Acceptable Items - No Fee

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,6: pm Jul 8, 2026,6: pm

One use Alkaline non-rechargeable batteries can be thrown in the regular trash. Since 1993 these are no longer manufactured with Mercury.

Acceptable Items - Fee per Item

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,6: pm Jul 8, 2026,6: pm

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,6: pm Jul 8, 2026,6: pm

Norwell is a member of the South Shore Recycling Cooperative. Verified Norwell residents may attend most of the other 10-12 SSRC HHW collections/year at no charge depending on the items and limits, without the necessity of an Authorization Form and registering online for the events. For more information about HHW collection, please visit the South Shore Recycling Cooperative Website.

Latex Paint is not hazardous and may be disposed of in a trash bag for curbside collection. Latex paint will only be accepted if it is completely dry (kitty litter, paint hardener, or saw dust can speed up the process). Paint Cans must have the lids removed prior to disposal. Latex Paint that is still serviceable can be recycled through Recolor Paints.

Sharps & Medication Drop-off

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,6: pm Jul 8, 2026,6: pm

Medical Sharps (Needles, Syringes, and Lancelets)

The Town of Norwell offers free sharps disposal for residents at the Norwell Fire Dept. Headquarters located at 300 Washington Street with the following requirements:

• Needles/Sharps will be collected Monday – Friday from 8am-4pm only.
• Needles/Sharps disposal is limited to Norwell Residents from Normal Household Use. Identification is required. All items for disposal will be inspected by Norwell Fire Personnel.
• No Commercially Generated Needles/Sharps will be accepted.
• All Needles/Sharps must be packaged in sturdy plastic containers for acceptance.
• No Trash/Medications/improperly packaged sharps or Non-Sharp articles (ie syringes without needles etc) will be accepted.
• DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED NEEDLES OR SHARPS IN THE LOBBY.
• DO NOT PUT MEDICAL SHARPS IN THE TRASH OR RECYCLING. IT IS ILLEGAL.

We accept any FDA approved sharps container which can be purchased online or at your local pharmacy.

If you cannot obtain a FDA approved sharps container, you can use an empty household container with the following features:

• Tight-fitting lid that cannot be punctured.
• Made of heavy-duty plastic.
• Does not leak.
• A common use acceptable household container is an empty and rinsed out Laundry Detergent bottle.
• Unacceptable container examples are: Milk containers/jugs, soda, juice, and water bottles,and all glass containers.

Prescription & Over the Counter Medications

The Norwell Police Department located at 300A Washington Street has a kiosk for unwanted pill form medications inside the lobby, open 24/7, no questions asked.

• Do not flush or put prescription medicine down the drain.
• By law, once a prescription has been issued, the pharmacy cannot take it back.
• Unused pharmaceuticals found in the trash may be stolen for unregulated use.
• Antibiotics kill beneficial microbes in septic and wastewater treatment systems. Other medications, even at very low concentrations, may have serious detrimental effects on fish, other aquatic life, and drinking water.
• Liquid Medications can be poured into a container of inedible material like cat litter, coffee grounds or dirt and thrown away in your regular trash.

State Waste Ban Materials

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,6: pm Jul 8, 2026,6: pm

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In 1990, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) introduced its firstbans on landfilling and combustion of easy-to-recycle and toxic materials. Additional "waste bans" have been phased in over time. The following materials and items are prohibited from disposal and/or transfer for disposal in Massachusetts:

The Trash hauler enforces these items as they are on the State Waste Ban List. For more information on Waste Ban Materials please refer to MGL 310 CMR 19.017.
 * Several items listed can be disposed of at the Norwell Recycling Center fees may apply.
** Curbside Mattress Recycling Pickups: HandUp -  (774) 271-8744 or Handupmattress.com
*** Clothing & Textile Recycling bins are located outside the Norwell Recycling Center

Scheduling Bulk Item Pickups

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026,7: pm Jul 8, 2026,7: pm

Option #1 - Waste Management Website:
https://www.wm.com/us/en/home/bulk-trash-pickup

• Enter the street address of your home and click "check availability" 
• Complete steps 1 - 4

Option #2 - Waste Management Customer Service - (800) 972-4545

• When asked for the reason for your call state: "schedule a bulk item pickup"
• System will not recognize the telephone number you are calling from and will ask for a customer id or address, please state: "I don't have it"
• System will ask if you are calling for business or residential service, please state: "residential".
• You will be connected with a representative to schedule your pickup

For Cart Issues, Missed Pickups, and General Information
Highway / Tree & Grounds 781-659-8042 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Curbside Mattress Recycling Pickups
HandUp -  (774) 271-8744 or Handupmattress.com