Beginning on April 8th, the Town of Reading will roll out new trash and recycling carts to all households currently receiving Town collection. This will include a green 64-gallon trash cart and a blue 96-gallon recycling cart. Seniors (60+) or residents with disabilities shall receive priority and can request a smaller 48-gallon trash cart, a 48-gallon recycling cart, or a 64-gallon recycling cart by contacting the Department of Public Works at 781-439-6930.
For multi-unit residential buildings currently receiving trash and recycling collection by the Town, each residence in the building will receive the standard issued 1 – (64) gallon trash cart and 1 – (96) gallon recycling cart, unless a smaller cart option is requested.
All carts are property of the Town of Reading and must remain with this property. Please do not paint or affix any permanent markings on the carts.
Residents can begin using their new carts immediately. In July of 2026, use of the new carts will become mandatory as the Town will be moving to automated pickups with the new trash and recycling contract.
There will be no changes to the current policies on amount of trash put out or bulk items. Residents may still leave one bulk item out on their pickup day. Click the "Bulk item Collection" on the left-hand menu for more info on what is considered a bulk item.
Which day does my trash and recycling get picked up?
Old containers are also great to keep and use for storage, or use them to hold indoor recycling to transfer to your new outdoor bin.
If you have any questions, call the DPW office at 781-439-6930 or open a SeeClickFix request.