What Can't Go in a Dumpster in Massachusetts
Good news first. Most of what comes out of a cleanout goes right in the can. Old furniture, boxes, the leftovers from a small remodel. But Massachusetts keeps a short list of things out of its landfills, and each one costs extra if it turns up in your dumpster. Here's that list, fee and all.
Family Owned · Based in Auburn · First Ton Included
Why There's a List at All
Here's the deal. We didn't make these rules. The state did. MassDEP, the office that looks after the environment in Massachusetts, bans certain items from every landfill in the state. Mattresses. TV screens. Propane tanks. A handful more.
So if one of those ends up in your can, there's an added charge for each one. It's right there in the rental terms you sign when you book. We put the whole list on this page too, item by item. No fine print games.
Best move? Pull those things out before you start loading and stick them in the garage or off to the side of the driveway and find out what your town's transfer station takes before the can even shows up. Not sure about something in the pile? Call and ask. Takes a minute.
Ask Before You Toss It
One dumpster, one simple price. Our 10 yard can is $365 for 2 days or $425 for 7 days, with delivery, pickup and the first ton included.
Book OnlineWe deliver to Auburn and ten more towns nearby.
What Can't Go In, and What It Costs
Seven kinds of items Massachusetts keeps out of the landfill. Find one in your pile? Here's what it costs if it ends up in the can.
TVs and Computer Screens
Ever cleaned out a basement and found an old TV nobody's watched in years? Screens stay out of the can.
- TV screens
- Computer screens and monitors
Mattresses
This one sneaks up on people during a move or a bedroom cleanout. A mattress can't ride along with the rest of the load. Box springs can go in, with a fee listed in your rental agreement.
- Mattresses, any size
Propane Tanks
Even the ones that feel empty. A grill tank buried in a cleanout pile is a nasty surprise for whoever unloads it.
- Grill tanks
- Any propane tank, full or empty
Machine and Truck Tires
The priciest thing on the list. Tires off trucks, tractors and other machines stay well clear of the can. Car tires are OK, with a small fee.
- Truck tires
- Tires off tractors and other machines
Railroad Ties and Creosote Poles
You'll find these holding up old garden beds and retaining walls. Creosote is the dark, tar like coating that keeps the wood from rotting.
- Railroad ties
- Poles treated with creosote
Appliances
Two kinds carry a fee. Anything that holds Freon. And the big laundry and kitchen machines.
- Air conditioners
- Refrigerators and freezers
- Dehumidifiers
- Washers and dryers
- Dishwashers
Hazardous and Special Waste Is Always a No
This group is different. No fee makes it okay. We don't accept hazardous or special waste in our dumpsters.
That means medical waste. It also means liquid waste like wet paint, oil, fuel, solvents and anything else that sloshes around in a can. If it pours, it stays out. Dried-out latex paint cans are OK, with a small fee.
And when hazardous material does end up in the can anyway, any extra cost to deal with it is on the customer. That's in the rental terms too. Ask your town where it should go instead.
Have one of these sitting in the garage? Call before it goes in the can.
Call (833) 854-9997What Goes Right In
After a list like that, here's the part you care about. Most stuff from a normal cleanout or small project is fine.
Cleanouts and Small Remodels
This is what our 10 yard dumpster is made for. Old furniture, boxes and clutter from the attic or basement. Cabinets, flooring and trim from a small remodel. Toss it in. Car tires, box springs and dried-out paint cans can go too, with a small fee from your rental agreement. Leaves and grass stay out, because Massachusetts bans yard waste from the trash.
11 ft long · 8 ft wide · 4 ft tall
See the 10 Yard Dumpster
Heavy Stuff Like Concrete, Dirt and Shingles
Heavy stuff can go in too. Construction debris, roofing shingles, concrete, dirt, scrap metal, asphalt, logs and stumps. The terms and any extra charges are in the rental agreement you sign. Just know heavy stuff adds up fast, and the first ton goes quick. Call first and we'll help you plan the load.
Call (833) 854-9997One rule for every load: nothing over the top. Fill it level with the top of the walls, with nothing sticking up over the sides, because the load gets covered for the ride to the dump. And washers, dryers and dishwashers surprise people. They're on the fee list above at $75 each, so pull them out before you load.
The Other Thing That Changes Your Bill
What goes in is half the story. Weight is the other half.
Every dumpster rental includes delivery, pickup and the first ton. Go over a ton and it's $150 a ton, prorated, so you pay for the part of a ton you use, not a whole ton. Keep the can past your rental and it's $12 a day.
Heavy material is what gets people. Dirt, concrete and shingles can pass a ton long before the can looks full. So if your pile is mostly heavy stuff, call first and we'll help you plan the load.
See Full PricingThese prices are for our 10 yard can. Drop off and pickup are included.
Got Something on the List? Do This
Set It Aside
Do it before you load. Don't bury it in the middle of the pile and hope. That's the move that turns into a charge on your bill.
Check With Your Town
The transfer station or recycling program in your town is the first place to ask about mattresses, TVs, tires, propane tanks and appliances.
Still Not Sure? Call
Call (833) 854-9997 and ask. We'd much rather answer a quick question now than add a fee later.
When the job is mostly the easy stuff, you can book a dumpster online any time.
Questions We Get About What Goes In
Quick answers on the banned list. Pricing, delivery and the rest live on our full FAQ page.
Two kinds of things. First is the state's landfill ban list. TV and computer screens, mattresses, propane tanks, railroad ties and creosote poles, machine and truck tires, Freon appliances, plus washers, dryers and dishwashers. Each one costs extra if it turns up in our can, anywhere from $50 to $300. Second is hazardous and special waste like medical waste, wet paint, oil, fuel and solvents, and that's never allowed.
Only with a $125 charge. Mattresses are on the Massachusetts landfill ban list, so each one we find in the can costs that much. Ask the recycling program in your town how to get rid of it instead.
No. TV screens and computer screens are banned from Massachusetts landfills, and each one in the can adds $90 to your bill. Ask your town what they take. Then the rest of the cleanout goes in the dumpster like normal.
Keep it out of the dumpster. Propane tanks are on the banned list, and each one we find costs $50. They can be dangerous if there's still gas inside, even when they feel empty. Call your town's transfer station and ask how they handle them.
Each one costs extra. Anything with Freon, like a fridge, freezer, air conditioner or dehumidifier, is $75 apiece. Washers, dryers and dishwashers are $75 each too. Have a few of them? Call first and we'll talk it through.
Dried-out latex paint cans are OK, with a small fee listed in your rental agreement. Wet or liquid paint is not. It counts as liquid waste in our rental terms, along with oil, fuel and solvents, and we don't take any of it. If it gets in the can anyway, any extra cost to deal with it is on the customer. Not sure a can is dry? Call and ask before it goes in.
Most of what comes out of a normal house project. Household cleanout items, old furniture and debris from a small remodel all go right in. Car tires, box springs and dried paint are OK with a small fee. Leaves and grass are not, since Massachusetts bans yard waste from the trash. Heavy stuff like concrete, dirt or shingles is allowed, but it adds up fast, so call first. Load it level with the top, nothing over the sides.
You'll see the fee for that item on your bill. It's the same list printed in our rental terms, from $50 for a propane tank up to $300 for a machine or truck tire. Pull those items out before you load and it never comes up.
