The following is the full article quoted from _The Falmouth Enterprise_ published online on 4/38/36 and in the published version on 5/1/26, pages 1 & 8, entitled, “Officials Detail New Trash Collection Rules At Monday Information Sessions”.
Town officials outlined further details about a series of upcoming changes to the town’s trash collection program at two informational meetings held at the Falmouth Public Library on Monday, April 27.
Changes are being made to automate trash collection and new roadside restrictions are being added because the town is required to reduce its solid waste volume by the state.
All of the roughly 21,000 curbside pickup-eligible residences in town will receive new green trash carts that will be delivered and distributed by Nauset Disposal over a two-week period in May. The rollout of the 65-gallon carts is expected to be completed before Memorial Day.
Under the new system, each household will begin with one 65-gallon trash cart. The bins will be emptied once per week by Nauset. Residents who need a larger, 95-gallon cart will be able to request one after August 3. Also, smaller, 35-gallon carts can be requested through the company’s website.
Falmouth Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator Mary B. Ryther said Nauset Disposal will also collect residents’ old bins and transport them to its recycling facility in Rochester. Multiple collection dates will be scheduled for the old bins. Those dates have not yet been announced.
A major change discussed at the meetings involves how trash must be set out for pickup. Ryther said any trash placed outside the new carts—including in bags, additional containers or oversized items—will not be collected. Each household will be limited to one cart and any overflow must be taken to the town’s waste management facility, where disposal will cost $2.50 per bag.
Ryther noted that this fee applies even to residents who currently have dump stickers. The policy drew concern from some attendees at Monday’s sessions, particularly those worried about excess trash that cannot fit inside the new bins.
Town officials said the new cart sizes, along with expanded disposal and recycling options such as the Swap Shop, material collection events and food scrap composting programs, are intended to encourage residents to reduce the amount of trash they generate.
Solid Waste Advisory Committee incoming chairman Richard Merrick said the changes are also driven by a state mandate requiring the town to reduce its trash output by 30% by 2030. According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan, solid waste disposal capacity in Massachusetts and throughout the Northeast has continued to shrink since 2010. As a result, municipalities are running out of space to dispose of their trash and must adjust their solid waste volume. Merrick added that the town has already achieved about a 15% reduction. Officials also emphasized that food waste makes up roughly one-third of the town’s trash stream, making composting a key priority.
In response to concerns about higher volumes of trash during holidays such as the Fourth of July, Alan Robinson, outgoing advisory committee chairman, suggested that residents set up receptacles for their guests for food scraps, recyclables and nonrecyclable waste to better manage disposal.
Ryther also said that Falmouth has about 25 years remaining to dispose of its solid waste at the Bourne Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility. After that, the town will likely need to transport waste farther, increasing costs.
Select Board chairman Robert P. Mascali said the board plans to discuss the issue of excess trash and associated costs at an upcoming meeting.
There are no changes to the town’s recycling program, which will continue to be collected every other week.
The changes come as part of a five-year extension of the town’s waste-hauling contract with Nauset Disposal. The current contract had been set to expire in June 2027; the extension expands the town’s cart-based system—introduced for recycling in 2022—to include trash collection, creating a fully automated and uniform program.