Midwest City's Trash & Recycling: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles trash & recycling a little differently. In Midwest City, Oklahoma, there are 8 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Midwest City requires all garbage and rubbish set out for collection to be in enclosed containers, and gives residents with an active full-service utility account four bulk collection events a year.

Key details: Container rule: All garbage, refuse and rubbish set out for collection must be in enclosed containers. Who is responsible: The owner, person having control, or occupant of the premises. Exemption: Only as provided by section 18-23. Bulk collection: Four bulk collection events per year for accounts with full services. Bulk period: First business day of January to the last business day of December.

Setting out garbage, refuse or rubbish other than in enclosed containers violates section 18-5. Under section 18-6, an owner, person in control or occupant who fails, neglects or refuses to use the required containers, or who fails to pay uncontested service bills for ten days after official notice, is in violation. Oklahoma law backs the municipal system generally at 63 O.S. § 2256.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping trash or hazardous waste on another person's property without permission is unlawful in Midwest City, punishable by fine, restitution, costs, and possible jail time under Code § 27-44.

Key details: Governing section: Code of Ordinances § 27-44. Presumption trigger: 3+ items with a common address. Penalty: Fine under § 1-15, possible jail. Exception: City-approved dumping grounds only.

Violating § 27-44 is punishable by a fine under § 1-15, plus possible restitution, court costs, and imprisonment; each dumping incident can be charged separately.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Midwest City actively enforces its illegal dumping requirements.

Recycling Requirements

Midwest City requires a separate recycling cart for every residence, with mandatory curbside participation and fines up to $20 for contaminating the cart with non-recyclable trash.

Key details: Recycling cart required: Since July 1, 2013. Pickup frequency: Emptied bi-weekly. Participation: Mandatory, contracted third-party service. 1st contamination offense: Courtesy call/education only. 3rd contamination offense: $20 fee, cart permanently removed.

Contaminating the recycling cart triggers a courtesy call on the first offense, a $20 charge on the second, and a $20 charge plus permanent cart removal on the third (§ 18-25(g)).

Collection Schedule

Every owner or occupant of property in Midwest City must sign up for city garbage service and pay the monthly charge; a narrow, renewable-annually exception exists but using a private hauler does not qualify for one.

Key details: Service: Mandatory for all premises. Exception grantor: Utilities superintendent. Exception term: Max 1 year, renew yearly. Private hauler: Not grounds for exception. Violation: Offense under § 18-6.

Section 18-6 makes it an offense to fail, neglect, or refuse to comply with any provision of chapter 18, including the section 18-23 mandatory service requirement, unless a current exception is on file.

Recycling Rules

Midwest City requires every residential customer to use a separate recycling cart alongside their trash cart, and repeated contamination with non-recyclable items triggers a courtesy warning, then two $20 charges, then permanent removal of the cart.

Key details: Recycling required since: July 1, 2013. Pickup frequency: Bi-weekly, separate cart. 1st contamination offense: Courtesy call, educational resources. 2nd/3rd offense fee: $20 charge each time. 3rd offense penalty: Cart permanently removed.

Failing to sort recyclables from trash triggers a courtesy call first, a $20 charge to dump the cart as trash second, and a $20 charge plus permanent cart removal third.

Yard Waste Collection

Midwest City residents get four free special brush and yard-waste pickups per calendar year at $55 per half hour; a fifth pickup that year jumps to the $80 per half hour rate, requested by Tuesday 5 p.m. for Wednesday service.

Key details: Free special pickups: 4 per calendar year (Category I). Category I rate: $55 per half hour, min $55. Category II rate: $80 per half hour after 4th. Brush size limit: sized for one person to handle. Request deadline: 5 p.m. Tuesday for Wednesday pickup.

No criminal penalty attaches directly; oversized brush a single person can't lift is left uncollected, and each pickup beyond the four annual Category I visits bills at the higher $80-per-half-hour Category II rate instead of $55.

Bin Placement Rules

Midwest City requires trash and recycling carts at the curbline no earlier than 7 p.m. the day before collection and no later than 7 a.m. collection day, then returned to storage by 7 p.m. that evening.

Key details: Set-out window: 7 p.m. before to 7 a.m. day-of. Return deadline: 7 p.m. collection day. Storage spot: Within 5 ft of house. Call-back fee: $20. Governing section: § 18-25(c).

Late set-out, blocking the cart from view, or failing to return it by 7:00 p.m. the collection day can draw a fine under § 1-15; a missed curbline cart brings a $20 call-back fee.

Dumpster Rules

Midwest City requires every commercial establishment to keep an approved, city-furnished sanitation container in a location the environmental services director approves, free of fire and rodent hazards, with gates open by 5 a.m. for collection.

Key details: Container sizes: 4-, 6-, or 8-yard dumpster boxes. Placement approval: Environmental services director must approve location. Gate deadline: Open by 5:00 a.m. collection day. Missed-gate fee: $50 return trip charge. Sharing dumpsters: Case-by-case, director-approved only.

Failing to provide an adequate approved container is a city offense; an unopened gate at pickup time adds a fifty-dollar return trip fee to the commercial account.

The Bottom Line

Midwest City'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 Midwest City is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Midwest City's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.