How Billings Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide

Billings maintains 114 local ordinances across all categories, and 7 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Billings falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Bulk Item Disposal

Billings collects bulky items like furniture, TVs, and mattresses from residential customers only on an on-call basis, with an added charge under the city's annual rate resolution.

Key details: Extra item size: 32-gal container / 2x2 ft. Bulky item threshold: over 75 lbs. Pickup method: on-call, fee applies. Runs through: Public Works Department. Citation: Sec. 21-218.

Setting bulky items out without scheduling an on-call pickup, or dumping them on city right-of-way or another owner's property, falls under the outdoor-dumping ban (Sec. 21-219) and is a municipal infraction carrying civil penalties; extra/bulky items are billed under the rate resolution regardless of who collects them.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping solid waste on city right-of-way or another's property without consent is a municipal infraction in Billings, punishable by civil fines up to $300 for a first offense.

Key details: Governing section: Sec. 21-219, BMMC. First-offense fine: Up to $300. Repeat-offense fine: Up to $500 per violation. Classification: Civil municipal infraction. Continuing violations: Each day is separate offense.

Up to $300 civil penalty (first offense); up to $500 per repeat violation; each day is a separate offense.

Bin Placement Rules

Billings requires black or green solid waste carts to be stored off the street right-of-way except from the night before through the day of collection, with no underground storage allowed.

Key details: Curb window: Night before + collection day only. Off-curb requirement: Stored off right-of-way rest of week. Underground storage: Banned citywide. Max penalty: $500/day, each day separate offense.

Curbside carts outside the night-before/collection-day window, or any underground storage, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 1-110: up to $500 per day, each day a separate offense.

Dumpster Rules

Billings reserves solid waste collection to the city itself, so private roll-off dumpsters and drop-boxes are allowed only as a narrow exception for active construction sites, not general commercial use.

Key details: General rule: City-exclusive collection, Sec. 21-214. Construction exception: Drop-box/roll-off service allowed. Commercial storage duty: Sec. 21-210(b) suitable facilities. Max penalty: $500 fine or 6 months jail.

Violating Chapter 21 is a misdemeanor under Sec. 1-110: up to a $500 fine, up to 6 months in jail, or both, with each day of violation a separate offense; the city may also abate the condition directly.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Billings actively enforces its dumpster rules requirements.

Yard Waste Collection

Billings runs weekly green-container yard waste pickup for residential customers from early April through late November; contractors must haul away their own debris and yard waste service isn't offered to commercial customers.

Key details: Season: Early April to late November. Collection: Weekly, green containers. Bundle limit: 75 lbs, 4 ft long, 2 ft diameter. Commercial customers: Not eligible for yard waste service. Contractor debris: Contractor removes at own cost.

Bagging yard waste in plastic, or setting out oversized or overweight bundles, can get the pickup skipped; contractors who leave debris curbside face code enforcement and removal costs billed back to them.

Collection Schedule

The City of Billings picks up residential solid waste once a week in automated black containers, and Sec. 21-214 makes the city the exclusive hauler: private companies can't collect your trash.

Key details: Collection frequency: Once weekly, automated. Hauler: City-exclusive (Sec. 21-214). Container size: 64- or 96-gallon black. Billing: Monthly, on water bill. Yard waste season: April through November.

Overfilled containers simply won't be emptied until the next scheduled service day (Sec. 21-211(f)). Dumping solid waste on city property or someone else's premises without consent is a municipal infraction with civil penalties under Sec. 18-1304 (Sec. 21-219).

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Billings residents can only place black and green collection containers at the curb the night before pickup and on collection day itself; the rest of the week they must be stored off the street right-of-way.

Key details: Curbside placement window: Night before pickup through collection day. Off-schedule rule: Containers must be off right-of-way. Container types: Black trash, green yard waste. Enforcing department: Billings Public Works Department. General penalty: Up to $500 fine, 6 months jail.

Violating city code provisions is a misdemeanor under Sec. 1-110, punishable by up to a $500 fine, six months in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Billings's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Billings is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Billings's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.