What it costs to dump in Massachusetts: 2026 town fees
In Massachusetts, the dump is your town transfer station, and the price of getting in varies wildly: a free sticker in Needham, $40 in Falmouth, $190 in Plymouth and $410 in Barnstable. Then come the bag fees and per-item charges.
2026 cost to dump in Massachusetts, town by town
| Place | Small load | Bigger loads | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needham | Free sticker; trash in yellow pay-per-throw bags | Bulky loads $220 a ton | Closed Sundays and Mondays |
| Worcester | $5 per bulk item | Same flat $5 per item | By appointment, April to Nov/Dec |
| Falmouth | $40 sticker (or $10 a trip), then $2.50 a bag | Construction debris $220 a pickup load | Stickers aren't sold at the gate |
| Plymouth (Manomet) | $190 annual vehicle permit | Bulky items by weight at Republic's site | Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays |
| Barnstable (Hyannis) | $410 permit, or $10 a bag | Construction debris $285 a ton | Mattresses $40 to $55 |
Rates verified from each town's own published pages, October 2026. Most town stations are for residents only. Confirm with the town before a big load.
Find a landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites across Massachusetts, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
Why prices vary so much
MassDEP lists only seven active landfills for household trash in the state, so most towns run a transfer station that ships trash elsewhere, and each town decides how to pay for that. Barnstable's station is run as an enterprise fund paid entirely by its users, so its permit carries the full cost. Needham gives stickers away and charges through its yellow pay-per-throw bags instead, and Falmouth combines a modest sticker with $2.50 per bag.
Some towns don't use stickers at all: Plymouth scans license plates, and Barnstable has moved to a stickerless permit tied to your vehicle.
Free and nearly free options
- Needham residents get their sticker free and recycle most items at no charge.
- Worcester takes bulk items for $5 each and leaves, yard waste and recycling free, and gives residents free compost.
- Barnstable permit holders recycle cardboard, paper, containers, batteries, used oil, clothing and yard waste free.
- Falmouth takes scrap metal and antifreeze free with a sticker.
The catches that cost people money
- Showing up without a permit. Plymouth issues a $100 violation to vehicles that aren't enrolled.
- Trying to buy a sticker at the gate. Falmouth sells stickers only online or at the Town Clerk's office.
- Mattresses. Banned from the trash statewide; they cost $40 to $55 in Barnstable and $50 in Falmouth, and Casella's curbside pickup in Worcester is $134.96 each.
- Midweek trips. Plymouth's station is closed Wednesdays and Thursdays, Needham's Sundays and Mondays, and Falmouth's Sundays and Mondays.
- Cash at Worcester. The drop-off center takes checks or exact cash only, with no change on site.
What Massachusetts law keeps out of the trash
MassDEP's waste disposal bans (310 CMR 19.017), which started in 1990, keep a long list of materials out of landfills and incinerators: lead-acid batteries, white goods (large appliances), whole tires (from landfills; shredded tires are allowed), cathode ray tubes (old tube TVs and monitors), leaves and yard waste, scrap metal, recyclable glass, metal and plastic containers, paper and cardboard, asphalt, brick and concrete, clean gypsum wallboard, and wood (from landfills).
On November 1, 2022 the state added mattresses and textiles, and lowered the threshold for businesses' food waste. That's why towns charge for mattresses and set out textile collection boxes.