Trash & Recycling in Kokomo, IN (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Kokomo, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
In the City of Kokomo, § 95.06 tells residents when their garbage and rubbish will not be picked up: loose or spilled material, broken containers, and route-specific weight and condition limits all stop a collection. Non-automated routes cap containers at 50 pounds and refuse frozen, animal-invaded, or improperly bagged loads.
Kokomo Trash Pickup Eligibility Rules
Some RestrictionsKokomo Code of Ordinances §§ 95.06, 95.07
(D) Garbage and rubbish not in the aforementioned types of containers or bags, or garbage or rubbish whose containers have broken, and the contents scattered on the ground, shall not be picked up. (E) Garbage and rubbish will not be collected if the non- automated route container and contents is more than 50 pounds in weight; if the content of the container is not in unbroken and securel...
Bin Placement Rules
In the City of Kokomo, § 95.06 requires garbage and rubbish to go out in 30-gallon containers or securely tied heavy-duty bags, and bars leaving those containers on the sidewalk, the strip between the street and sidewalk, or the front or side yard except by a Street Commissioner variance. Section 95.09 then sets the actual curb collection point.
Kokomo Garbage Container Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsKokomo Code of Ordinances §§ 95.06, 95.09
(A) All garbage and rubbish to be collected by the city's refuse collection crews shall be placed in containers, or placed in securely tied heavy duty plastic bags. Containers shall be of no more than 30- gallon capacity. ... (H) Trash or garbage containers left upon the sidewalk, the area between a street and sidewalk or the front or side yard, or any public place, except as permitted by t...
Bulk Item Disposal
In the City of Kokomo, § 95.07(B)(1) excludes rubbish of exceptional size or weight, such as construction debris, more than one large furniture item or appliance a week, and cement blocks or bricks, from the regular route. Section 95.08(A) lets residents still get it hauled away for an additional charge.
Kokomo Large Item and Bulk Rubbish Pickup
Some RestrictionsKokomo Code of Ordinances § 95.07, § 95.08
(1) Other provisions of this subchapter notwithstanding, rubbish of exceptional size or weight will not be collected as a part of regular refuse pickup, even if the same is set out in containers that meet the requirements of § 95.06. The excluded materials would include, but not be limited to, construction or demolition debris, more than one large item of furniture or large appliance per week...
Recycling Requirements
Kokomo's recycling program is not automatic citywide law; § 98.02 of the Kokomo Code of Ordinances authorizes the Board of Public Works and Safety to establish and implement a special collection program for recyclable materials, citywide or for only a portion of households on the regular waste route, and to expand or shrink coverage over time by its own action rather than a Council ordinance amendment.
Kokomo Curbside Recycling Program Authority
Light RestrictionsKokomo Code of Ordinances § 98.02
§ 98.02 AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAM. (A) Pursuant to authority granted by this chapter, the Board of Public Works and Safety of the city is authorized to establish and implement a program for the special collection of recyclable materials within the city, subject to the terms and conditions of this chapter. The Board of Public Works and Safety is authorized to establish an...
Illegal Dumping
The City of Kokomo bans dumping litter, junk, garbage, construction debris, and hazardous or infectious waste on public roadways or private property under § 99.32 of the Kokomo Code of Ordinances. The Howard County Recycling District's Compliance Officer investigates and issues abatement notices, and § 99.99(B) fines violators of the illegal-dumping subchapter, §§ 99.30 through 99.40, between $100 and $2,500 for each offense, with every day of a continuing violation counted separately.
Kokomo Illegal Dumping Penalties
Significant RestrictionsKokomo Code of Ordinances §§ 99.32, 99.99(B)
§ 99.32 ACTS PROHIBITED. ... No owner, occupant, tenant, or any person having a substantial property interest in any real or personal property within the Howard County Recycling District, shall maintain, create, cause, place, deposit, leave, or permit a nuisance to remain on such property, or upon any public place abutting such real estate or personal property. The following acts shall constitu...
Yard Waste Collection
In the City of Kokomo, § 95.07(B)(3) lets tree branches, brush, plant stalks, and shrubs go out with the regular weekly pickup, but only if each piece is four inches or less in diameter, cut into four-foot lengths, and bound into bundles weighing no more than 50 pounds apiece.
Kokomo Curbside Brush and Limb Bundling Rule
Some RestrictionsKokomo Code of Ordinances § 95.07
(3) Tree branches, brush, plant stalks, and shrubs of not more than four inches in diameter which are cut up into no more than four-foot lengths and bound into bundles, with each bundle no more than 50 pounds, shall be picked up as part of the regular pickup schedule.
Dumpster Rules
In the City of Kokomo, no company may place a construction dumpster or roll-off container on a public street or right-of-way without a permit from the Permits Office. Dumpsters may not sit within 75 feet of an intersection without City Engineer approval, and violators face a fine of up to $500 per day.
Kokomo Roll-Off Dumpster Placement Permit
Some RestrictionsKokomo Code of Ordinances §§ 120.03, 120.11, 120.99
§ 120.03 PERMIT REQUIRED. ... No person, company, or business shall place any dumpster within any portion of a public street or upon public right-of way within the city limits, and no person, company, or business shall lease any dumpster to any third party for placement within any public street or upon public right-of-way, without obtaining a permit therefore as required by this section. ... § ...
Collection Schedule
In the City of Kokomo, § 95.08(B) guarantees garbage and refuse pickup at least once every seven days for each single-family residence, apartment unit in a building of four units or less, and manufactured home in a small manufactured housing park, all within the city limits. The Street Department sets and can change the schedule.
Kokomo Weekly Trash Collection Schedule Rule
Some RestrictionsKokomo Code of Ordinances § 95.08
(B) Collection schedule. (1) Garbage and refuse will be picked up at least once each seven days from each single-family residence, unit in apartment buildings of four units or less, or manufactured home in manufactured housing parks with four manufactured homes or less within the city limits. (2) Collection schedules will be determined by the Street Department. Initial collect...
Recycling Rules
Once Kokomo's recycling program is running, § 98.03 of the Kokomo Code of Ordinances marks city receptacles as city property for recyclables only, makes separating recyclables voluntary for households, and bans anyone but city crews or the city's own contractors from collecting, possessing, or removing material placed in a designated recycling receptacle, with scavengers fined under § 98.99.
Kokomo Recycling Receptacle Rules
Some RestrictionsKokomo Code of Ordinances § 98.03
§ 98.03 RECYCLING REGULATIONS. ... (A) The receptacles provided by the city for receiving recyclable materials for special collection shall be clearly marked as being property of the city, and intended for receiving recyclable materials only. ... (C) It shall be unlawful for any private citizen, firm, corporation, or scavenger, to collect, obtain, possess, or pick up or remove from any prop...
Looking for Howard County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Kokomo city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Howard County →