Trash & Recycling in Akron, OH (2026)
7 verified trash & recycling rules for Akron, Ohio, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Akron tells residents exactly when city-issued trash and recycling carts can sit at the curb: no earlier than 4:30 p.m. the day before collection, no later than 4:30 a.m. on collection day, and carts must be back on private property by 6:00 p.m. that evening. Sec. 52.11(A) makes late collection or early carts a violation.
Akron Curbside Cart Set-Out Time Rules
Some RestrictionsAkron Codified Ordinances § 52.11(A)
A.Garbage, household rubbish and recyclables in containers supplied by the City shall be deposited on or near the curb directly in front of the residence, not later than 4:30 a.m. on the day established for collection, nor earlier than 4:30 p.m. on the preceding day. Containers remaining after collection shall be removed from the curb and replaced on private property by 6:00 p.m. on the collect...
Bulk Item Disposal
Akron sharply limits what bulky items can go out for curbside pickup. Sec. 52.11(C)-(D) bans nearly all automobile parts except tires, car seats, mufflers, and tailpipes, and bans concrete, construction or demolition material, dirt, sand, gravel, and bricks entirely, so residents must arrange separate disposal for those materials.
Akron Curbside Bulk Item Disposal Limits
Significant RestrictionsAkron Codified Ordinances § 52.11(C), (D)
C.No person shall place on the curb automobile parts for curbside collection except for automobile tires, car seats, mufflers and tail pipes.D.No person shall place concrete, construction or demolition material, dirt, sand, gravel or bricks for curbside collection.
Recycling Requirements
Akron defines exactly what counts as curbside recyclables under Sec. 52.10, covering metal cans, glass, rigid plastic bottles, aerosol cans, foil, and paper, and separately makes it a fourth-degree misdemeanor under Sec. 52.07 for anyone but city crews or a licensed hauler to take recyclables once they are set out at the curb.
Akron Curbside Recyclables & Scavenging Rules
Some RestrictionsAkron Codified Ordinances §§ 52.10, 52.07(A)-(B)
"Recyclables." All metal food and beverage cans, glass bottles and jars, rigid plastic bottles and containers that held milk, soda, food products, laundry products, empty aerosol cans, aluminum trays, aluminum foil, magazines, inserts, and newspapers. The Director of Public Service reserves the right to amend and include or exclude items that are permitted under this definition when deemed appr...
Illegal Dumping
Akron treats any dumping of more than five pounds of waste on public or private property or waters as a first-degree misdemeanor under Codified Ordinance § 95.40. Convicted dumpers face a mandatory minimum fine equal to the removal cost, never less than $500, and courts cannot suspend or waive that fine under any circumstances.
Akron Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsAkron Codified Ordinances §§ 95.40, 95.99(B)
No person shall dump any waste or other refuse in an amount in excess of five pounds upon any public or private property or waters. "Dumping" includes, but is not limited to, discarding, dropping, placing, throwing, depositing or dispensing. "Waste" includes, but is not limited to, garbage, trash, dead animals, junk, tires, used automobile parts, used building materials, used oil, used chemical...
Yard Waste Collection
Akron won't collect loose brush or carpet at the curb. Sec. 52.11(B) requires that any carpet or brush set out for curbside pickup be cut, bundled, and tied into bundles no more than four feet long, or city crews will leave it behind.
Akron Brush & Carpet Bundling Rules
Some RestrictionsAkron Codified Ordinances § 52.11(B)
B.No person shall place on the curb for curbside collection carpet or brush unless it is cut, bundled and tied so that the bundles are not more than four feet long.
Dumpster Rules
Akron caps how long you can keep a dumpster, roll-off, or storage pod in a residential neighborhood: thirty consecutive days, and no more than ninety total days in a calendar year. City Code § 94.19.2 also limits every residential parcel to one large container at a time and bans placing them on the street, sidewalk, or right-of-way.
Akron Dumpster & Storage Container Rules
Some RestrictionsAkron City Code § 94.19.2
A. As used in this section, a "large storage or waste container" is a vessel of more than ninety-six (96) gallons designed or used to store materials for re-use or disposal at a later time and includes, but is not limited to, PODS, (personal on-demand storage units), storage cubes, cargo containers, shipping containers, roll-off containers, bagsters, and dumpsters. C.1. No person shall maintain...
Collection Schedule
Akron requires most homes to subscribe to the city's curbside trash program or a licensed private hauler, and bars anyone but authorized city crews or licensed private haulers from collecting garbage anywhere in the city. Owners of single-, two-, and three-family buildings must pay for combined refuse service, currently $22.50 a month, or $12.30 with a Homestead Exemption.
Akron Mandatory Trash Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsAkron Codified Ordinances §§ 52.06, 52.15(A)
No person, except duly authorized collectors of the City or private haulers licensed pursuant to law, shall collect or remove any garbage or rubbish accumulating within the City or use the streets, avenues, and alleys of the City for the purpose of collecting or transporting the same. Penalty, see § 52.99. ... The owners of the following types of properties shall participate in the combined ref...
Looking for Summit County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Akron city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Summit County →