Curbside Rubbish Collection

Residential Service

The City of Bristol collects rubbish curbside for Bristol residential properties containing one dwelling unit but not more than five units. This does not include businesses, hospitals, motels or hotels, apartment buildings, nursing centers, condominiums, or dwellings on private roads. City of Bristol rubbish barrels are emptied once a week. Each unit in the building receives one rubbish barrel and one recycle barrel. The cost of rubbish and recycling services are included in your property taxes.

Recycling 

Recyclables are not allowed in rubbish barrels. All items considered recyclable by law must be in recycle containers and separated from rubbish. The best way to cut down on the amount of rubbish you accumulate is by recycling more. Learn more about recycling here.

Allowable materials for residential rubbish

Please bag and deposit burnable rubbish in your gray barrel. The lid must be closed. The following materials are not allowed in rubbish barrels:

  • Leaves, brush, woodchips or grass clippings
  • Demolition materials (sheetrock, shingles, tile)
  • Dirt, sod, sand, rocks, brick, concrete
  • Metals larger than 1 gal paint can
  • Electronics
  • Liquids
  • Chemicals (Empty household chemical containers ok)
  • Hot ashes
  • Smoke detectors
  • Mercury-containing thermostats or thermometers

Schedule

The City of Bristol collects rubbish weekly. To find out what your scheduled rubbish collection day is, please contact Public Works at (860) 584-6125 or look up your address online.

Follow us on Facebook and check our News Flash to stay informed of any service schedule changes, special events, etc.

Public Holidays

Rubbish will be collected on your scheduled rubbish collection day unless a public holiday falls on or before your collection day. In this situation your collection day will be one day after your regularly scheduled rubbish day (i.e. Monday routes will be picked up on Tuesday, Friday routes on Saturday).

Observed City Holidays

  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Presidents Day
  • Good Friday
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Columbus Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day

Placement Guidelines for Barrels

Place barrels at the curb by 6:00 am on the day of pick up. Maintain 5 feet of clearance on either side of each barrel and one car length clearance in front of each barrel.

Caring for Your Rubbish Barrel

If your barrel is damaged, please report it to Public Works and we will repair/replace it. 

You may purchase an additional rubbish barrel for a yearly fee. Remember: you can minimize your trash accumulation by recycling more! Caring for your barrel_001

Bulky Waste/Large Items

Large items that do not fit in your rubbish barrel can be collected through our bulk pick-up service (by appointment), or can be brought to the Transfer Station with a residential permit.

Not sure how to dispose of an item? 

Check our How Do I Dispose Of... page!