Republic Strike Updates

Watertown Trash and Recycling Curbside Pickup Update – July 8, 2025

Curbside pickup will continue tomorrow, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, with regularly scheduled Wednesday B week services in Watertown. Republic Services replacement crews were in Watertown collecting trash and recycling today, July 8, 2025, for those with Tuesday trash pickup, and B week recycling pickup.

The City is aware that delays and missed pickups did occur on Monday and Tuesday this week. The City is communicating the reported missed pickups with Republic Services each day as they work to complete each day’s route and return to previously missed pickups. The City greatly appreciates your patience and understanding.

If your trash or recycling was missed on Monday or Tuesday this week, we request you leave your barrels out tomorrow, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. You can report a missed pickup by contacting the City's 311 Service Center, or by submitting a request via SeeClickFix or the Watertown MA App. For those with Wednesday trash or recycling pickup, please leave barrels out all day into the evening and report a missed pickup only if the barrel has not been picked up by the following morning using the above channels.

The Watertown Recycling Center remains closed at this time, as Republic Services is unable to provide staff to operate it and haul recycling materials at this time. Yard waste pickup remains cancelled this week. The Swap Shop at the Watertown Recycling Center, that was scheduled for July 12, 2025, will be rescheduled to a future date due to the Recycling Center being operated by Republic Services.

Residents with overflow trash caused by last week’s work stoppage may visit the City’s website for information on how to dispose of extra bags. We will continue to update this information regularly, so please check back daily for the latest information.

We encourage everyone to visit watertown-ma.gov/republicstrike to receive the latest updates regarding this situation, and to read the FAQs.

To receive updates about Trash and Recycling and more, please sign up for Watertown News and Announcements.

Read the July 8, 2025 FAQs below

Or download the July 8, 2025 FAQs as a PDF

Read the letter from Municipal Officials to Republic Services - July 3, 2025

Watertown Trash and Recycling Curbside Pickup Update – July 1, 2025

Curbside trash and recycling pickup is cancelled on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, and for the remainder of this week, due to the on-going labor strike between the City’s contractor, Republic Services and their unionized workforce. Today, Republic Services informed the City of Watertown, in writing, that they will mobilize crews to provide curbside trash and recycling collection beginning again on Monday, July 7, 2025. If this does not occur, we will provide further information as it is available.

Our Public Works and Communications team are communicating with the Republic Services’ team. The City is developing a page on its website to answer many of our residents’ trash and recycling curbside pick-up questions. We will be adding more information to this page over the next few days. We encourage residents to visit the page, at watertown-ma.gov/republicstrike to find announcements, answers to frequently asked questions, and any related details to this on-going situation.

In the meantime, for Watertown households experiencing significant hardship due to the missed pickup—especially ahead of the holiday weekend—the City is actively working to provide a temporary solution. We encourage residents to regularly check watertown-ma.gov/republicstrike for updates on this temporary service.

Finally, we encourage our residents to consider signing-up for our citywide curbside composting program, run by Black Earth, whose services remains unaffected. Residents can sign up online with Black Earth, and will then be notified to visit the Watertown’s DPW at 124 Orchard Street in Watertown to pick-up your own composting bin during business hours. Please remain connected with the City and upcoming announcements on the City’s website, our social media channels (Facebook and Instagram), as well as through the City’s Everbridge Emergency Alert system. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time.

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Question
Why didn't my trash get picked up last week?

Answer

The City of Watertown contracts with Republic Services to pick up trash, recycling and yard waste. Republic also runs the facility where our recycling is dropped off for processing. Republic does not run the facility that accepts our trash. At this time, the unionized workers of Teamsters Local 25 that are employed by Republic are on strike. Republic had informed us through Monday that they expected that this would not occur, and therefore did not have replacement crews ready to work in Watertown. When their employees went on strike, they were not immediately ready to provide service to Watertown. 

Question
What is the strike about?

Answer

This is a private work action between a vendor and their employees. The City administration respects the rights of workers to bargain collectively but has no knowledge of the specific requests of the Teamsters or proposals from Republic. We do hope that the two sides can come to an amicable agreement in the immediate future. 

Question
Has trash and recycling pickups started again?

Answer

Yes. Republic Services has started trash and recycling pickups as of Monday, July 7, 2025, and they will continue to provide regularly scheduled service for the remainder of this week. We are seeing some pickups are taking longer than usual, and we encourage residents to keep their barrels out until the next morning. We appreciate your patience. 

Question
What is the Trash and Recycling schedule starting on July 7, 2025?

Answer

Regularly scheduled trash and recycling curbside pickup will resume on Monday, July 7, 2025. Monday scheduled pickup will be on Monday, Tuesday will be Tuesday, and will continue as regulalry scheduled through the week. 

The recycling schedule will continue as a origionally scheduled B Week will be picked up during the week of July 7th. For residents whose recycling service was cancelled on the week of June 30 – July 5, 2025 (A Week), please hold your recycling until the week of July 14, 2025 and put out your bin on the normal recycling day.

Question
Recycling pickup happens every two weeks - Whose recycling will be picked up starting on Monday, July 7, 2025?

Answer

Republic Services has informed the City they will resume curbside recycling service as previously scheduled (B Week will be picked up during the week of July 7th). For residents whose recycling service was cancelled on the week of June 30 – July 5, 2025 (A Week), please hold your recycling until the week of July 14, 2025 and put out your bin on the normal recycling day. We understand that some A Week residents may find they have too much recycling. The City is exploring opportunities to alleviate excessive recycling pile-up prior to the next scheduled pickup date on the week of July 14, 2025, but we don’t have that in place yet. Until then, you can hold this extra recycling, or ask a neighbor if they have some extra recycling bin space.  

Question
What is the A week and B week recycling pickup schedule? Where is each located?

Answer

See the calendar of the trash and recycling pickup schedule. Please beware yard waste is cancelled at this time.

Also, please see the map of A week and B week pickup. July 7-11 is B week. 

Question
Is yard waste collection expected to resume on July 7 as well?

Answer

No. Republic Services informed us that they are unable to complete their yard waste collection during the strike. We are working with them to identify alternate weeks for yard waste pickup and will share more information when it is available.

Question
Will the Recycling Center be open?

Answer

No. The Recycling Center, as well as the site that accepts our recycled materials delivered from the center, are operated by our contractor, Republic Services, and they have informed the City that they are unable to staff the center and manage pickups from the center at this time.

Question
When and how do I report a missed pickup?

Answer

The City has been made aware of delayed and missed pickups on both Monday, July 7, and Tuesday, July 8, 2025. If your trash or recycling pickup was missed, please leave your barrels out on Wednesday, July 9, and contact the 311 Service Center for assistance.

On your scheduled day for trash or recycling pickup, please leave barrels out all day into the evening and report a missed pickup only if the barrel has not been picked up by the following morning. Please contact the City's 311 Service Center for assistance. You can also input a missed pickup request via SeeClickFix or the Watertown MA App.

Question
Will Republic Services collect overflow trash and recycling?

Answer

Republic will only pick up trash and recycling that is inside of approved containers that can be picked up from their trucks.   If you have bags of trash or excess recycling that does not fit in the truck, you can ask a neighbor who might have extra bin space if they can help out. If you still have overflow trash caused by the missed pick-ups during this week, consider the drop-off option outlined below.

Question
What can I do if I have a significant overflow of trash?

Answer

The City of Watertown has developed a temporary solution for residents experiencing significant hardship due to their trash overflow from this strike. On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, the City of Watertown is again making available very limited dumpster space for bagged household trash only, to residents experiencing significant hardship due to trash overflow at 148 Waltham Street, the former Sterritt Lumber site. This location will be open from 7:30 am – 3:30 pm.

We request only residents experiencing this significant hardship to utilize this remedy, as space is very limited. Residents will be required to show a license or utility bill to the officer at the opening gate verifying their Watertown residency.

Residents will be limited to disposing a maximum of 3 bags of household trash due to the limitation of space. On average, Republic Services collects 32.5 tons of trash in a single day in Watertown, and the temporary dumpsters being provided by the City are only able to handle 5 tons each. We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation to make this option a success.

Please see below additional information regarding items you cannot throw away.

Question
What can I and what can I not throw away at this temporary, emergency site?

Answer

This location is only available for bagged household trash and will not have available recycling dumpsters or space of bulk items. The following items are prohibited and the officers at the gate will turn back cars seeking to dispose of any of the following:

  • Mattress
  • Box Spring
  • Televisions
  • Computer monitors
  • Sleeper Sofas
  • Tires
  • Car style batteries
  • Appliances
  • Appliances with freon (such as any sized refrigerator)
  • Air conditioners 
  • Propane tanks
  • Bulky furniture items

Please be aware that illegally dumping household furniture, trash, recycling, or yard waste at 148 Waltham Street, or anywhere in the City, is prohibited by law and will be strictly monitored and enforced by law enforcement.

Question
What are ways I can alleviate my trash or recycling build up?

Answer

Given the limited space available at the temporary drop-off site, we do ask our residents to also consider other potential options for alleviating buildup of trash when possible. If you find your trash or recycling is only partially full, the City encourages all to “Be Neighborly” and possibly offer space to your neighbor for a bag in your bin prior to upcoming pick-up starting again on Monday, July 7, 2025.

Question
How can I sign up for composting?

Answer

You can sign up for Black Earth Compost collection and pick up your container at the Department of Public Works during regular business hours (7:30 AM to 3:30 PM Monday through Friday). Compost collection remains unaffected and will continue your scheduled trash day.

Question
Will commercial dumpster pickup resume the week of July 7, 2025?

Answer

The City of Watertown is continuing to communicate with Republic Services and will have an update about commercial dumpster pickup in the coming days. We appreciate your patience.

Question
When will the public bins around the City be emptied?

Answer

Republic Services collected all City bins on Monday, June 30, 2025. These bins will be serviced again on Monday, July 7, 2025, when service resumes.

Question
All this is costing the taxpayers extra money – who’s going to pay for it?

Answer

The City has informed Republic Services that, under their contract with the City, we expect Republic to reimburse us for costs to the city due to this work action.

Question
Is the Watertown Swap Shop still scheduled to be open on July 12, 2025?

Answer

The next open date for the Swap Shop on July 12, 2025 has been postponed and a replacement date will be announced at a future time. The Watertown Recycling Center is run and operated by Republic Services and remains closed during the strike.