Republic Strike Updates

Republic Services Strike morning update, July 10, 2025

The City remains aware of the delays and missed pickups that have occurred during Republic Services’ curbside pickup service on Monday-Wednesday this week. Delays have been caused by the replacement crews’ unfamiliarity with Watertown and travel times, among other factors. We have requested for Republic Services to provide Saturday service this week to complete any missed pickups that occur and are not returned to before Friday. We will announce updates regarding this request as the week progresses. Please continue to leave your bins out if your scheduled trash or recycling pickup was missed.

If you have overflow trash and recycling, the City continues to operate an emergency trash and recycling drop-off site at 148 Waltham Street on Thursday, July 10 and Friday, July 11, 2025, from 7:30am – 3:30pm each day. Please limit your household trash and recycling to 3-bags (or equivalent of) that would go into your bins.

If you have called the City this week to report a missed pickup, the City has documented that missed pickup and continues to share an updated list with Republic Services. Republic Services is returning to previously missed pickups at the end of each day.

Please stay up to date at watertown-ma.gov/republicstrike and read the regularly updating FAQs.

To receive email or SMS announcements about trash, recycling, and more, please create an account and sign up for Watertown News and Announcements.

Read the July 9, 2025 FAQs below

Or download the July 9, 2025 FAQs as a PDF

Watertown Trash and Recycling Curbside Pickup Update – July 9, 2025

Curbside pickup will continue tomorrow, Thursday, July 10, 2025, with regularly scheduled Thursday B week services in Watertown. Republic Services replacement crews were in Watertown collecting trash and recycling today, July 9, 2025.

The City remains aware of delays in service and missed pickups that have occurred this week. Please continue to leave your barrels out if your trash and/or recycling was missed. The City is regularly updating a list of missed pickups and sharing details with Republic Services, who return to previously missed pickups at the end of their routes each day. If you have reported a missed pickup this week to the 311 Service Center, on SeeClickFix, or the Watertown MA app, we will ensure Republic Services remains aware as missed pickups are returned to this week.

For those with scheduled pickup on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, whose trash or recycling was missed, please contact the City's 311 Service Center, or submit a request via SeeClickFix or the Watertown MA App. We greatly appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as service continues here in Watertown.

The City continues to operate an emergency drop-off site located at 148 Waltham Street in Watertown where residents experiencing significant overflow and hardship can drop off limited amounts of trash and recycling. This location will be open Thursday, July 10, and Friday, July 11, 2025, from 7:30am – 3:30pm each day. Space is limited, so we request residents limit to disposing of 3 bags of household trash, and an equivalent of recycling. Bulk items are prohibited, and residents will be required to show a license or utility bill at the opening gate to verify Watertown residency.

The Recycling Center remains closed at this time and yard waste collection remains cancelled due to the on-going Republic Services labor strike.

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

To receive email or SMS announcements about trash, recycling, and more, please create an account and sign up for Watertown News and Announcements.