Updated Oct. 29, 2026. We check the city calendar monthly and before each holiday week.
This is our year-round guide to Boston trash, recycling and yard waste pickup: when the leaf weeks run, how holidays change your trash day, how to set out leaves and Christmas trees so crews take them, and which city tools show your own schedule. All dates come from the City of Boston Public Works Department. Your address search on boston.gov or the Trash Day app is the final word for your street.
Quick explainer: Boston has no single citywide holiday delay rule. The city says pickups are delayed in some neighborhoods during holiday weeks, so check your own address.
Leaf and yard waste pickup, fall 2026
Curbside yard waste is collected only during scheduled weeks. The city says crews won’t pick up leaves in other weeks. Within a listed week, put yard waste out on your normal trash day. If you have two trash days a week, use the first one.
| Week | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct. 26 – Oct. 30 | |
| 2 | Nov. 2 – Nov. 6 | |
| 3 | Nov. 9 – Nov. 14 | Veterans Day, Nov. 11, may delay trash in some neighborhoods |
| 4 | Nov. 16 – Nov. 20 | |
| 5 | Nov. 23 – 25 and Nov. 27 – 28 | No collection on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26 |
| 6 | Nov. 30 – Dec. 4 | Last 2026 leaf week |
How to set out leaves
- Use large paper yard waste bags, or an open barrel labeled YARD WASTE with a city-issued sticker.
- Plastic bags, contractor barrels, collapsible containers and city recycling carts aren’t accepted. Leaves left in them stay at the curb.
- Tie branches with string. They can be up to 3 feet long and 1 inch thick.
- Have everything at the curb by 6 a.m. on collection day.
- The program covers buildings with six or fewer units. If you live in a larger building, ask your property manager.
Where do Boston’s leaves go?
Public Works composts them, and community gardens, parks and schools use the compost as soil. Community gardens can ask for compost free of charge.
Holiday trash and recycling schedule, 2026-27
These city holidays can delay trash and recycling in some neighborhoods. On each one, daytime street cleaning is canceled and parking meters are free.
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Veterans Day | Wed., Nov. 11, 2026 |
| Thanksgiving | Thu., Nov. 26, 2026 |
| Christmas Day | Fri., Dec. 25, 2026 |
| New Year’s Day | Fri., Jan. 1, 2027 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Mon., Jan. 18, 2027 |
| Presidents Day | Mon., Feb. 15, 2027 |
| Patriots’ Day | Mon., April 19, 2027 |
Christmas trees
Christmas trees are picked up on your normal trash day for the two weeks after Christmas, Dec. 28, 2026, through Jan. 8, 2027. Remove all lights and ornaments, and don’t put the tree in a plastic bag. No other yard waste is collected during those weeks.
Everyday trash rules
- Put containers out no earlier than 5 p.m. the night before pickup and no later than 6 a.m. Early set-out can bring a $25 fine.
- Trash goes in a black or gray barrel with a secure lid. An overfilled barrel can cost you $100.
- Recycling goes loose in the blue cart. Flatten and bundle cardboard that doesn’t fit and set it beside the cart.
- Mattresses need a curbside appointment, with a limit of 10 items per address each year.
Snow can push pickups back too. Our snow emergency and parking ban guide covers storm rules, and the winter services guide covers street cleaning, which ends Nov. 30 in most neighborhoods.
Related guides
- Boston leaf pickup 2026: the full yard waste schedule
- Worcester leaf collection and drop-off
- Local guides for other cities and towns
- Boston holiday events 2026
Frequently asked questions
When is the last leaf pickup in Boston in 2026?
The last week is Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, 2026. Put leaves out on your normal trash day that week.
Is trash delayed in Boston on Thanksgiving?
The city says pickup is delayed in some neighborhoods during Thanksgiving week. Check your address in the Trash Day app or on boston.gov.
Can I put leaves in plastic bags in Boston?
No. Use paper yard waste bags or a barrel labeled YARD WASTE. Leaves in plastic bags aren’t collected.
When does Boston pick up Christmas trees?
On your regular trash day from Dec. 28, 2026, through Jan. 8, 2027, with all decorations removed.
When does spring yard waste pickup start in 2027?
The city hadn’t published its 2027 yard waste calendar as of Oct. 29, 2026. We’ll add the dates when it does.
Sources
- City of Boston: Leaf and yard waste schedule
- City of Boston: Trash and recycling day schedule and search
- City of Boston: 2026 yard waste calendar (PDF)
Additional sources
Featured image: Photo: King of Hearts, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.