Trash & Recycling in Rochester Hills, MI (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Rochester Hills, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Rochester Hills limits how long trash, recycling and yard-waste containers can sit at the curb under Property Maintenance Code Section 308.1.2: refuse cannot stand for collection more than 24 hours, and if it is not removed within 72 hours the city posts a 24-hour notice before hauling it away at the owner's expense. Recycling containers and yard clippings follow the same 24-hour removal window.
Trash and Recycling Container Timing in Rochester Hills
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Code § 18-532 (Property Maintenance Code § 308.1.2)
Containers standing for collection. Under this section, refuse, including garbage, may be deposited at the place for collection in plastic bags, disposable cartons, or metal or plastic containers, but shall not be left standing in the location for more than 24 hours. If after 72 hours the refuse is not removed, the city shall place a 24-hour notice on the premises advising of the violation. If ...
Bin Placement Rules
Rochester Hills requires solid waste to be stored in closed containers screened from public view at the site of generation, kept separate from yard clippings. Curbside placement is capped at 24 hours: no cart, bag or bundle may sit at the curb longer under Rochester Hills Code § 86-31(6)(a).
Rochester Hills Trash Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Code §§ 86-30(1), 86-31(6)(a)
(1)Solid waste. ... All solid waste shall:a.Be gathered, stored and placed in a closed container or containers sufficient in number and size to store such waste;b.Be shielded from public view upon the site of generation; andc.Not be commingled with yard clippings. ... (6)Curbside placement.a.No solid waste, recyclable materials, yard clippings or containers for same shall be placed or left at c...
Recycling Requirements
Rochester Hills requires recyclables not mixed with trash to be site-separated and placed in a recycling container, or bundled paper under 50 pounds, and rinsed clean if metal, glass or plastic. A licensed hauler must pick recyclables up at least weekly under Rochester Hills Code § 86-31(2).
Rochester Hills Recyclable Materials Preparation Rules
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Code §§ 86-30(2), 86-31(2)
(2)Recyclable materials. All recyclable materials not commingled with solid waste shall be:a.Site-separated from other waste and stored and placed in a recycling collection container suitable for such purpose; or if newspapers or other recyclable paper products, be stored and placed in recycling collection containers, paper bags or tied into bundles weighing not more than 50 pounds; andb.Rinsed...
Illegal Dumping
Rochester Hills bans dumping litter, garbage, refuse or debris on public or private property without the owner's or public authority's consent, per Code § 46-63. The Litter Article (Ch. 46, Art. III) makes any violation a municipal civil infraction under § 46-65, carrying a civil fine of up to $500 per offense, with increased fines for repeat violations within three years and each day of continuing violation charged separately.
Illegal Dumping Ban in Rochester Hills
Heavy RestrictionsRochester Hills Code §§ 46-63, 46-65
It is declared to be unlawful for any person knowingly, without the consent of the public authority having supervision of public property or the owner of private property, to dump, deposit, place, throw or leave or cause or permit the dumping, depositing, placing, throwing or leaving of litter on any public or private property or waters other than property designated and set aside for such purp...
Yard Waste Collection
Rochester Hills requires yard clippings to be kept separate from trash and recyclables, with twigs, brush and branches up to three inches thick tied into bundles no longer than four feet and 18 inches around. A licensed hauler or landscaper must remove clippings at least weekly under Rochester Hills Code § 86-31(3).
Rochester Hills Yard Clippings Bundling Rules
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Code §§ 86-30(4), 86-31(4)
(4)Yard clippings. All yard clippings shall be site-separated from other waste and:a.Stored in accordance with section 86-6(3); andb.Not commingled with solid waste or other recyclable materials. ... (4)Preparation of yard clippings for disposal. Twigs, brush and branches not exceeding three inches in diameter shall be tied in bundles not more than four feet in length and 18 inches in diameter....
Dumpster Rules
Rochester Hills requires trash receptacles, compactors and dumpsters at commercial and multifamily sites to be screened on three sides by a six-foot decorative masonry wall matching the building's exterior materials. The location must appear on the site plan and cannot interfere with traffic or overflow onto neighboring views.
Rochester Hills Dumpster Screening Requirements
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Zoning Ordinance § 138-10.311.B, C
B.All trash receptacles and bins shall be screened on three sides by decorative masonry walls which are similar to or compatible with the exterior construction materials used elsewhere on the site. A door or gate of an enclosure screening trash receptacles or dumpsters shall be constructed of steel materials with a decorative wood or other decorative durable face material. Concrete or metal bol...
Collection Schedule
Rochester Hills residents must use the city's single designated waste hauler for solid waste and recyclables, collected curbside only between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Bypassing the contracted hauler or setting out material outside those hours violates Rochester Hills Code §§ 86-70(1)(a) and 86-102.
Rochester Hills Residential Trash Collection Hours
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Code §§ 86-70(1)(a), 86-102(1)
(1)Collection hours.a.Domestic. Solid waste, recyclable materials and yard clippings shall be collected within the city from the curbside of residential sites of generation only between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; except solid waste, recyclable materials and yard clippings may be so collected on a Saturday between those hours when a legal holiday has occurred on...
Recycling Rules
Rochester Hills bans storing or disposing of solid waste, recyclables or yard clippings except as city code allows, and makes curbside material the property of the licensed waste hauler once it is set out. Scavenging recyclables from the curb is unlawful for anyone but the generator or the hauler. Violations carry a $25 fine per day.
Rochester Hills Recycling Storage and Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Code §§ 86-27, 86-104(c)(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person to store or dispose of solid waste, recyclable material or yard clippings except as expressly authorized by this chapter. ... All violations of this article by owners or occupants of single-family generation sites pertaining to solid waste and yard clippings collected or generated on the property of the single-family residence shall be municipal civil infract...
Looking for Oakland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Rochester Hills city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Oakland County →