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Curbside food waste collection is moving to every other week starting October 5, 2026.


Curbside food waste collection began in 2022 as a pilot. Thanks to participants across the City, the program has been a great success, helping remove food waste from our garbage waste stream.

To bring this service to more households, curbside collection will move to every-other-week.

Many participants already use the service this way, and this change will allow people currently on the waitlist to join the curbside collection program and thus increase participation of more households.

This change will increase the amount of food waste diversion from trash while reducing truck traffic and emissions in our neighborhoods.

Thank you for being a part of this important effort. For those of you who prefer weekly curbside pickup, Garbage to Garden offers weekly collection for $5.50. You can see the plan details below.

Request service reminders so you never miss a collection day →

Four habits that make every-other-week easy.

None of these take more than a few extra seconds — watch the video below for a full walkthrough.

  • 1
    Bag every scrapUse a compostable liner or paper bag in your kitchen container — it's the single biggest odor fix.
  • 2
    Freeze or fridge the smelly stuffMeat, dairy, and seafood scraps stay odor-free if kept cold until pickup day.
  • 3
    Empty your kitchen container oftenTransfer it to the curbside cart every 1–2 days rather than letting it fill up.
  • 4
    Keep the lid latchedCurbside bins are animal-proof when latched — always close them fully after use.

Watch, then set a reminder.

A short video on best practices, then a calendar tool — enter your address and opt into a text or email the night before your pickup.

Best practices for every-other-week collection

Captions available in the YouTube player's settings.

Your collection calendar

Enter your address to see upcoming pickup dates and turn on text or email reminders the night before each collection.


Something not right?

Is the schedule showing the wrong information? Report it here.

Common questions about the change.

Why is the service changing to every other week?
We've learned a lot during the initial roll-out. This change reflects how the program is being used today - curbside bins have enough capacity and thousands of Boston residents are already successfully participating by placing their bin out every other week. This will also allow us to start enrolling those on the waitlist and expand further access to Boston residents with households of 6 units or less.
How do I know whether this is my collection week?
Knowing which week is your collection week is simple when you download the Boston Trash App, available on the App Store and Google Play. You can search by your address on the calendar tool above.
What if my pickup day is incorrectly mentioned on the Trash Day App?
Fill out this form and someone from our team will be in touch.
What happens if I accidentally place my cart out on the wrong week?
Our customer experience team is happy to help if there is ever confusion about your scheduled service day — we are here to support by clarifying your pickup and scheduling a makeup service as needed.
How do I reduce odors between pickups?
Keep particularly odorous items in the refrigerator until collection day. The best way to mitigate odors is to use a countertop container, and ensure scraps that go into your curbside cart are contained in tied off compostable bags, or in rolled up paper bags. Best practice is to use the full starter kit as designed. Watch the video above.
Will the waitlist be opened up?
Yes, enrollment will eventually open citywide, and those currently on the waitlist will be able to start using the service once space becomes available. You will be notified when you are moved off the waitlist and can begin using the service.
What if my bin is too full?
We always want to support your composting efforts and are happy to upgrade you from a bucket to a 12-gallon bin, or provide a second bin to meet your household needs. Additionally, you can visit one of the 20 Project Oscar locations in Boston, where you can drop off food scraps 24/7. The code to open the bin is 2-1-4.
Is Boston still committed to a long-term food waste program?
Yes, Boston remains committed to a long-term food waste program. This change in frequency will make the program more efficient and allow us to continue to provide reliable composting service across Boston.

Your starter kit is built for two weeks — if you use it as intended.

Your kitchen container and compostable bags make it easy to keep your scraps contained — failing to bag scraps is the most common cause of odor complaints.

Two habits that matter most

  • Bag it. Every scrap should go in as a bagged unit — compostable liner or paper bag — before it hits the container.
  • Use the kitchen container for convenience. It's there so you're not walking to the curb daily — but it should get emptied regularly, not left to fill for two weeks.
Request a replacement kitchen container → Request a free roll of liners →

Both are free, one-time requests — log in to My Account to submit yours.

Boston Composts curbside cart and kitchen container

Your curbside cart and kitchen container.

Do you have large volumes of food waste and prefer curbside pickup every week?

Some households prefer the convenience of weekly pickups. Add Garbage to Garden's off-week collection service. Skip any week you don't need, so you only pay for the pickups you actually get. Cancel anytime.

$5.50/ extra pickup (billed monthly by Garbage to Garden)

Apply to Enroll in City Service – Coming Later this Fall

Interested in joining Boston’s curbside food waste program?

We’re excited to expand program access to thousands of additional households as part of this update.

New enrollments will begin once the current waitlist has been cleared in October 2026. 

Please check back on the website for updates.

Illustrated icon of building in Boston FREE food waste pickup for residents who opt-in! Get your free curbside bin delivered to your address.
Illustrated icon of food scraps being emptied into a 12 gallon curbside bin for Boston's food waste collection program EVERY OTHER WEEK service on trash day: Put ALL of your food scraps, paper towels, and other compostable items into your new green bin.
Illustrated icon of sunflower in a pot to demonstrate the life cycle of food scraps being returned to the soil adding nutrients to grow food and plants Instead of becoming garbage, your food scraps can be turned into nutrient-rich COMPOST and CLEAN ENERGY, helping Boston reach its climate goals!