Trash & Recycling in Lansing, MI (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Lansing, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Lansing requires solid waste picked up by Public Service Department crews to go out in City-approved plastic bags or carts, not any container a resident chooses. Section 1060.04(b) caps the contents at thirty pounds, and City collection bags must carry the City seal, be sold only at Council-set prices, and be bought at City-designated outlets.
Lansing Trash Bag And Cart Rules
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1060.04(b)
(b)The containers for solid waste which shall be picked up by Public Service Department employees from residential sites of generation, shall be plastic bags or carts of City-approved quality. Specifications for City-approved collection bags or carts for solid waste shall be promulgated by the City through its Public Service Director. The contents of the City-approved collection bags for solid ...
Bin Placement Rules
Lansing residents may set solid waste and recycling containers at the curb no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before collection and must pull them back by 7 a.m. the day after.
Lansing Trash Cart Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1060.05(b)
(b)Solid waste and/or recycling containers and/or yard waste containers, from residential sites of generation, shall be set out in the right-of-way (adjacent to the street) on designated collection days, as specified by the Public Service Director and approved by Council. The schedule shall provide for a maximum of one collection weekly. The solid waste and/or recycling containers shall not be ...
Bulk Item Disposal
Lansing runs a weekly residential bulk item pickup: buy a City sticker for each item and set it curbside between 4 p.m. the day before and 7 a.m. on collection day, per Lansing Codified Ordinances § 1060.14.
Lansing Bulk Item Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1060.14
The owner or occupant of a residential site of generation unit qualifying for weekly bulk item collection service under this chapter, and intending to utilize the service, shall place a bulk item sticker on each item to be collected. Bulk items intended for collection shall be placed by the owner or occupant of the residential dwelling unit at the curb in front of the residence not earlier than...
Recycling Requirements
Lansing requires every residential, multifamily and nonresidential property to separate recyclable materials and yard waste from solid waste before pickup, under Codified Ordinances Section 1060.03. Only Public Service Department employees may collect materials once set at the curb; on-property composting is allowed if it does not create odors or a nuisance, and burning yard waste citywide is banned.
Lansing Mandatory Recycling Separation Rules
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1060.03
(a)All persons who are owners, lessees or occupants of a residential site of generation shall separate residential recyclable materials and yard waste from solid waste and prepare the recyclable materials and yard waste for recycling....(e)It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person, other than a Public Service Department employee, to collect or pick-up or cause to be collected or pi...
Illegal Dumping
Lansing prohibits littering or depositing trash and refuse in any street, alley, park, or public place except in designated receptacles or approved City trash bags: enforced citywide as a misdemeanor.
Lansing Bans Littering and Illegal Dumping
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 676.01
No person shall litter or deposit trash or refuse in any street, alley, park or other public place, except in receptacles intended therefor or except in or with City approved trash bags or other City approved method for City refuse pick-up.
Yard Waste Collection
Lansing bans plastic bags for yard waste pickup: Section 1060.04(c) requires City-approved containers holding no more than thirty pounds, and Section 1060.04(d) requires all brush to be neatly bundled under the City's pre-collection standards. Burning yard waste anywhere in the City is separately prohibited, and set-out containers exceeding the weight limit can be cited as a nuisance.
Lansing Yard Waste Container Rules
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1060.04(c)-(d)
(c)Yard waste in plastic bags will not be picked up by public service department employees from residential sites of generation. Specifications for City-approved collection containers for yard waste shall be promulgated by the City through its Public Service Director. The contents of the containers shall not exceed thirty (30) pounds.(d)All brush shall be neatly bundled in accordance with the C...
Dumpster Rules
Lansing requires commercial and multi-family dumpsters to sit on a concrete pad and be screened on all sides by a six-foot fence, wall, or berm, away from residential property.
Lansing Commercial Dumpster Screening Rules
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1250.04.04(a)
(a)Waste receptacles may be permitted as accessory to any use except single-family or two-family residential uses, subject to the following conditions:(1)Waste receptacles must be clearly accessible to servicing vehicles.(2)A concrete pad, at least two feet greater than the dimension of the waste receptacle on all sides, shall be provided.(3)Waste receptacles shall be screened on all sides. Suc...
Collection Schedule
Lansing caps residential garbage and recycling pickup at once per week, with collection days set by the Public Service Director and approved by City Council.
Lansing Weekly Trash Pickup Schedule
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1060.05(b)
Solid waste and/or recycling containers and/or yard waste containers, from residential sites of generation, shall be set out in the right-of-way (adjacent to the street) on designated collection days, as specified by the Public Service Director and approved by Council. The schedule shall provide for a maximum of one collection weekly. The solid waste and/or recycling containers shall not be pla...