Trash & Recycling in Detroit, MI (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Detroit, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Detroit assigns one Courville cart per household and sets a strict curbside window: out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the day before pickup, off the curb by 9:00 p.m. on collection day, per City Code § 42-2-46.
Detroit Trash Cart Curbside Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsDetroit City Code § 42-2-46(b)
When collection service is desired, all Courville containers must be placed by the owner, lessee, agent or caretaker at the curb or designated location no earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the scheduled solid waste collection day for access by Department of Public Works' solid waste collection trucks and shall be removed no later than 9:00 p.m. on the day of collection.(c)Nothing conta...
Bin Placement Rules
Detroit's Department of Public Works requires curbside Courville trash carts out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before collection and back in by 9 p.m. on collection day, with dumpsters at businesses screened behind a masonry enclosure.
Detroit Trash Cart Placement and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsDetroit City Code § 42-2-46(b)
When collection service is desired, all Courville containers must be placed by the owner, lessee, agent or caretaker at the curb or designated location no earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the scheduled solid waste collection day for access by Department of Public Works' solid waste collection trucks and shall be removed no later than 9:00 p.m. on the day of collection.(c)Nothing conta...
Bulk Item Disposal
Detroit puts bulk items and brush at the curb no more than 24 hours before your scheduled bulk collection day; oversized loads over one cubic yard, six feet, or 1,000 pounds draw a Department of Public Works fee.
Detroit Bulk Item and Brush Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsDetroit City Code § 42-2-27
Bulk solid waste shall be placed in a location convenient at the curb in front of the residential structure or commercial establishment to which an approved container has been assigned, that is convenient for collection, no more than 24 hours prior to the day designated for bulk collection by the Director of the Department of Public Works.(b)A charge will be made for the collection of bulk soli...
Recycling Requirements
Detroit's Department of Public Works offers curbside recycling to homes and businesses that pay the solid waste collection fee, using only Department-approved recycle carts under Chapter 42, Article IV of the City Code.
Detroit Curbside Recycling Program Requirements
Some RestrictionsDetroit City Code § 42-4-2
The Department of Public Works may offer collection services and collect recyclable material from residential structures or commercial establishments that elect to use such service, subject to the payment of the solid waste collection fee provided for in Section 42-2-73 of this Code.(b)The collection of all recyclable material is conditioned upon observance of all provisions of this article.(c)...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid, medical, or hazardous waste anywhere in Detroit without a permit is a blight violation; five cubic yards or more counts as illegal dumping, and police may impound the vehicle used to commit it.
Detroit Illegal Dumping Penalties
Significant RestrictionsDetroit City Code § 42-2-92
No person shall dump, store or deposit or cause to be dumped, stored or deposited, on any publicly-owned property, or private property or water, within the City any solid waste, medical waste or hazardous waste, except at a waste disposal or storage facility for which a permit or operating license has been properly issued pursuant to the provisions of this Code and of other local, state and fed...
Yard Waste Collection
Detroit collects brush, shrubbery, and tree branch cuttings on your scheduled bulk collection day, but only if pieces run under eight feet long, eight inches thick, 100 pounds total, and are free of wire.
Detroit Yard Waste and Brush Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsDetroit City Code § 42-2-28
Cuttings of brush, shrubbery and tree branches shall be collected on the scheduled bulk collection day and at other designated times, provided, that they do not exceed eight feet in length and eight inches in diameter or a total of 100 pounds in weight, and are free from wire or other metal.(b)It shall be the duty of the owner, tenant, occupant, or person in control of the premises to arrange p...
Dumpster Rules
Any dumpster or roll-off container placed on a Detroit public right-of-way needs a City Engineering Division permit, must hold at least two cubic yards, and cannot be shared between two or more separate businesses.
Detroit Dumpster Placement Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsDetroit City Code § 42-2-54
Vendors of large movable or stationary containers shall be responsible for obtaining a permit for each large movable or stationary container from the City Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works prior to the installation on any public right-of-way. Each large movable or stationary container shall have a capacity of two cubic yards or more and shall be in accordance with standard ...
Collection Schedule
Detroit residents must set Courville trash containers at the curb no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the day before collection and pull them back by 9:00 p.m. on collection day.
Detroit Trash Container Curbside Placement Hours
Some RestrictionsDetroit City Code § 42-2-46(b)
When collection service is desired, all Courville containers must be placed by the owner, lessee, agent or caretaker at the curb or designated location no earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the scheduled solid waste collection day for access by Department of Public Works' solid waste collection trucks and shall be removed no later than 9:00 p.m. on the day of collection.(c)Nothing conta...
Recycling Rules
Detroit requires curbside recycle carts to be set out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before collection and pulled in by 9:00 p.m. the same day, and bars carts from front yards except on collection day.
Detroit Curbside Recycling Cart Rules
Some RestrictionsDetroit City Code § 42-4-25(b)
Owners and/or occupants of residential structures who receive curbside collection shall place approved carts on a berm area not earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the day before collection and shall remove the same not later than 9:00 p.m. on the day of collection in accordance with this article. (Ord. No. 2021-15, § 1, eff. 4-15-2021) Secs. 42-4-26—42-4-30. - Reserved. Subdivision B. - Large Recyc...
Looking for Wayne County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Detroit city rules.
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