Trash & Recycling in Parma, OH

If you live in Parma or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Parma has 7 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Yard Waste Collection

Parma bans dumping leaves, clippings and other yard waste onto sloped land so it slides onto a neighbor's lot, and it fixes strict timing for curbside pickup: nothing can go out before noon the day before collection, and empty containers must be off the tree lawn by 8:00 p.m. Section 660.26 covers both.

Key details: Governing section: Parma Codified Ordinances § 660.26. Earliest curb placement: No earlier than noon, day before pickup. Container removal deadline: 8:00 p.m. on collection day. Sloped-lot dumping: Banned if waste can reach neighbor's yard. Hardship exception: Requires permit from Director of Public Safety.

General violations of Section 660.26 are a first-degree misdemeanor when no other penalty is specified in the section. A subsection (c) placement-timing violation is a minor misdemeanor, rising to a first-degree misdemeanor for a fourth or subsequent offense within a year, and the City may enforce it by issuing a citation under Rule 4.1 of the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and a court may order the violator to fix the problem at his or her own expense.

Recycling Rules

Parma's curbside recycling program only accepts glass bottles and jars, plastic soda bottles and milk, juice and water jugs, aluminum and tin food and beverage cans, and newspapers, and only when set out in a designated recycling container. Removing set-out recyclables from the curb is a criminal offense under City Code Section 642.025.

Key details: Governing section: Parma City Code 642.025. Accepted materials: Glass, plastic bottles/jugs, aluminum/tin cans, newspaper. Container requirement: Designated recycling container required. First offense: Minor misdemeanor. Repeat offense: Misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

A first violation of Section 642.025 is a minor misdemeanor; a second or subsequent violation within the City is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. Section 642.025(c) sets the penalty under Section 698.02. Because the statute targets removal of set-out recyclables by anyone other than the City or its designated recycling contractor, scavengers and unauthorized haulers picking through curbside bins are the ones exposed to prosecution, not residents sorting their own materials.

Bin Placement Rules

Parma bars putting waste out for collection before noon the day ahead of the scheduled pickup, and requires containers back off the tree lawn by 8 p.m. on collection day. Section 660.26(c) allows an early-drop hardship permit from the Director of Public Safety when needed.

Key details: Governing section: Codified Ordinances § 660.26(c). Earliest set-out: 12:00 p.m. day before collection. Container removal deadline: 8:00 p.m. on collection day. Early set-out option: Hardship permit, Director of Public Safety. First offenses: Minor misdemeanor, cited under Crim. R. 4.1.

A violation of the tree lawn set-out and pickup schedule in Section 660.26(c) is a minor misdemeanor under subsection (f), enforceable by citation under Rule 4.1 of the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure, and treated as a separate offense for each day it continues. A fourth or later violation escalates to a first-degree misdemeanor, exposing the offender to up to $1,000 in fines and up to 180 days in jail under Section 698.02.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Parma gives residents more flexibility on bin placement rules.

Illegal Dumping

Parma makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to throw, deposit or dump rubbish, garbage, dirt, pesticide, ashes or refuse of any kind onto parks, public grounds, sidewalks, tree lawns or another person's property without consent. Section 660.26(a) also reaches dumping onto sloped land that could wash debris onto a lower neighbor's property.

Key details: Governing section: Codified Ordinances § 660.26(a). Offense level: Misdemeanor of the first degree. Maximum fine: $1,000 under § 698.02. Maximum jail term: 180 days under § 698.02. Court remedy: May order cleanup at violator's expense.

Illegal dumping under Section 660.26(a) is a first-degree misdemeanor whenever no other penalty applies, punishable under Section 698.02 by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A sentencing court may also order the violator to clean up or rectify the dumping at their own expense under subsection (g), on top of any jail term or fine imposed.

This is one of the stricter rules in Parma's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Dumpster Rules

Placing a portable storage bin, box, or dumpster on a Parma property requires a City permit under Section 1707.09(b): an application, a fee under Chapter 185, placement behind the front setback line, and a limit of one unit per premises for up to 30 days.

Key details: Permit required: Application plus Chapter 185 fee before placement. Unit limit: One bin/dumpster per premises. Placement rule: Behind the front setback line. Permit term: 30 days, one 30-day extension. Annual cap: One permit per 12-month period.

Placing or maintaining an unpermitted storage bin, box, or dumpster, or exceeding the one-unit or 30-day-plus-extension limits, is enforced as a Property Maintenance violation under Section 1705.99(a): a first-degree misdemeanor, with a separate offense counted for each day the unpermitted unit remains on the property.

Recycling Requirements

Parma protects curbside recycling under Codified Ordinances Section 642.025: once residents set out glass, plastic, aluminum, tin, or newspaper in a designated recycling container for City pickup, only City employees, contractors, or agents are permitted to remove it. Scavenging recyclables set out for the City's hauler is a criminal offense, backed by escalating misdemeanor fines and administered by the Division of Litter Prevention and Recycling.

Key details: Governing section: Codified Ordinances Section 642.025. Covered materials: Glass, plastic bottles/jugs, aluminum/tin cans, newspaper. Container rule: Must be enclosed in a designated recycling container. First offense: Minor misdemeanor, fine up to $150. Repeat offense: Fourth-degree misdemeanor, up to $250 and 30 days.

Removing recyclables already set curbside for City pickup is a minor misdemeanor on a first offense, fined up to $150 under Section 698.02(f)(1)B.e. A second or later violation of Section 642.025 escalates to a misdemeanor of the fourth degree: up to $250 in fines under Section 698.02(f)(1)B.d and up to 30 days in jail under Section 698.02(b)(1)D. Enforcement runs through the City's criminal misdemeanor process, not a civil citation.

Collection Schedule

Parma limits solid waste hauling to between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, no later than 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and never on Sundays, under Codified Ordinances Section 737.09. Haulers need an annual $20 permit from the Director of Public Service, and exceptions require a hardship showing.

Key details: Weekday hours: 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Saturday cutoff: 4:00 p.m.. Sunday collection: Prohibited entirely. Hauler permit fee: $20.00 per year. First-offense penalty: 3rd-degree misdemeanor, up to $500/60 days.

Hauling, collecting or transporting solid waste outside the Section 737.09(a) hours is enforced under Section 737.99(a): a third-degree misdemeanor for a first offense, punishable by up to a $500 fine or sixty days in jail, or both, rising to a second-degree misdemeanor with up to a $750 fine for a second or subsequent offense.

The Bottom Line

Parma'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 Parma is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Parma can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.