Trash & Recycling in Cleveland, OH (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Cleveland, Ohio, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Cleveland residents may not set solid waste or a waste container out for collection any earlier than noon the day before their regular pickup, and must pull the empty container back by noon the day after, under Codified Ordinances § 551.04. Waste must go on the tree lawn or another designated spot, not the street or sidewalk.
Cleveland Trash Cart Set-Out & Removal Times
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 551.04(d)-(e)
(d) No person shall set out any solid waste or any waste container for collection earlier than 12:00 noon on the day preceding a regular collection day. (e) No person who has set out a waste container for collection shall fail to remove it from the tree lawn or other designated place for waste collection no later than 12:00 noon on the day following the date of collection.
Bulk Item Disposal
Large bulk items like refrigerators, furniture, mattresses and couches are 'special waste' under Codified Ordinances § 551.05 and aren't collected in regular containers. Section 551.111 caps a household to 3 such bulk items per set-out (plus up to 4 tires), enforced as a $100-to-$350 civil infraction depending on how far over the cap the set-out goes.
Cleveland Bulk Item Set-Out Quantity Caps
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 551.111(a)-(b)
(a) No person shall set out for collection on a parcel's tree lawn or other designated place for collection, in a manual collection zone, a quantity of solid waste, exceeding five (5) approved waste containers, twenty (20) bags of yard waste, twenty (20) bundles of brush or tree trunks, four (4) tires, or three (3) special waste items as described in division (b) of Section 551.05. (b) No perso...
Recycling Requirements
Cleveland's automated collection program gives each household two carts, one for regular trash, one for recyclables, and Codified Ordinances § 551.041 caps cross-contamination: the recycling cart can't hold more than 2 percent regular household waste by volume, and the trash cart can't hold more than 10 percent recyclable material, or the resident faces a $100 civil infraction.
Cleveland Curbside Recycling Contamination Limits
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 551.041(a)
(a) No person shall do any of the following at any parcel included in the automated waste collection and curbside recycling program described in division (b): (1) Set out for collection the container designated for recyclable materials if its contents exceed two percent (2%) regular household waste by volume. (2) Set out for collection the container designated for regular household waste if its...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid or industrial waste by vehicle on any unlicensed public or private property is banned under Codified Ordinances § 551.26, and Cleveland treats it as a criminal offense, not just a fine: dumping from a commercial car, trailer or truck carries a mandatory $1,000 fine plus 60 days to 6 months in jail, while dumping from any other vehicle draws a $500-$1,000 fine and up to 6 months.
Cleveland Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances §§ 551.26(b)-(c), 551.99(e)-(f)
(b) No person shall dump or otherwise dispose of solid waste or industrial waste by commercial car, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer or truck on any public or private property not licensed as a solid waste disposal facility pursuant to this chapter... (c) No person shall dump or otherwise dispose of solid waste or industrial waste by any vehicle other than a commercial car, trailer, semitrail...
Yard Waste Collection
Yard waste, brush and tree trunks aren't picked up in Cleveland's regular waste containers. Codified Ordinances § 551.05 requires them tied into compact bundles weighing no more than 100 pounds each and set at a spot convenient for collection, and § 551.111 caps a manual-zone household at 20 such bundles or bags per set-out.
Cleveland Yard Waste & Brush Bundling Rule
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 551.05(a)
No furniture, tires, yard waste, bundle of brush, tree trunk or other such special waste shall be routinely collected by the regular waste collectors. Any solid waste, other than furniture, appliances or other such bulk items, that is so large that it cannot be contained in approved containers, shall be securely tied in compact bundles not to exceed one hundred (100) pounds in weight and shall ...
Dumpster Rules
Setting a roll-off dumpster or storage unit down on a Cleveland street, alley, or sidewalk requires a street obstruction permit from the Director of Capital Projects before it's placed. Fees run $20 a month in residential areas and $20 a month plus a $50 inspection fee downtown or in other commercial districts; unpermitted obstructions draw a minimum $200 fine.
Cleveland Dumpster & Roll-Off Placement Permit
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 411.011
(a) No person shall place or cause to be placed any object or property so as to obstruct the public's use of any highway, lane, road, street or alley without first obtaining a street obstruction permit and/or a street opening permit, if necessary, from the Director of Capital Projects. ... (5) Dumpster or Portable Onsite Storage Unit: A. In Central Business District: $20.00 per month plus an ad...
Collection Schedule
Cleveland requires garbage collection at least once a week and solid-waste (bulk) collection at least once a month under Codified Ordinances § 551.051, with the Director of Public Service reporting to City Council if either interval is missed; residential service is billed at $8.75 per unit per month on the water bill under § 551.022.
Cleveland Weekly Trash, Monthly Bulk Pickup Schedule
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 551.051 (Minimum Collection Intervals)
The Director of Public Service, within the limitation of funds appropriated and available for such purposes, shall make provision for the collection of garbage and solid wastes at regular intervals so that garbage will be collected at least once each week and so that solid wastes will be collected at least once each month. If the collection of garbage cannot take place at least once each week o...
Recycling Rules
Once you've set recyclables at the curb for Cleveland's curbside program, only City employees, contractors or agents may take them. Codified Ordinances § 551.081 bans anyone else from removing glass, cans, plastic bottles, newspapers, cardboard or paper grocery bags set out for the program, protecting the City's recycling revenue from scavengers.
Cleveland Recycling Scavenging Ban
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 551.081
(a) When a person has set recyclable materials out on a public street or alley for collection by the City or its contractor pursuant to the City's curbside recycling program, no person except an employee, contractor, or agent of the City who is engaged in implementing the City's curbside recycling program shall remove any of such materials. (b) For purposes of this section, "recyclable material...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Cleveland city rules.
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