Trash & Recycling in Warren, MI (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Warren, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Before Warren will collect it, trash has to be prepped a specific way: newspapers bundled under 35 pounds, brush cut to 4-foot lengths and bundled under 35 pounds, compost bagged in clear plastic under 40 pounds, and recyclables in the city-issued container. City Code Sec. 16-3(b) says materials not prepared this way simply will not be picked up.
Warren's Curbside Preparation Rules for Pickup
Some RestrictionsWarren City Code § 16-3(b)
All solid waste, compostables and recyclables placed at the curbside for collection shall be prepared for collection in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and article... a.All newspapers shall be placed in paper bags or tied in bundles not exceeding thirty-five (35) pounds in weight nor exceeding one (1) foot in thickness. b.All brush shall be cut into four-foot lengths or less an...
Bin Placement Rules
Warren bars residents from putting trash, compost, or recyclable containers at the curb before 6:00 p.m. the calendar day ahead of their scheduled pickup. City Code Sec. 16-3 also requires materials to go between the curb and sidewalk at the public right-of-way, and empty containers must come back off the curb within 10 hours after collection.
Warren Curbside Set-Out Time and Container Rules
Some RestrictionsWarren City Code § 16-3(a), (b)
All residents and other persons in charge of any premises located within the city areas serviced by the curbside program... shall source separate all designated recyclables and compostables from solid waste and place them between curb and sidewalk where possible at the side of the public right-of-way fronting their premises... NO SOLID WASTE, COMPOSTABLE, OR RECYCLABLE MATERIAL SHALL BE PLACED ...
Bulk Item Disposal
Large items that don't fit in a regular bin, rugs, furniture, mattresses, appliances, go next to the waste receptacles rather than inside them under City Code Sec. 16-3(b). Appliances with latching doors need the door removed for safety, mattresses and rugs must be rolled and tied, and refrigerant-bearing units need proof the refrigerant was professionally removed before Warren will collect them.
Warren's Bulk Item Curbside Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsWarren City Code § 16-3(b)
Items too large to fit into regular containers such as discarded rugs, appliances, furniture, mattresses, etc., should be set neatly next to the waste receptacles. Appliances with a latching door must have the door removed for safety purposes. Mattresses, rugs and similar items must be rolled up and tied securely whenever possible. Motor vehicle air conditioners, household refrigerators and fre...
Recycling Requirements
Warren requires every household in the serviced area to source-separate glass, cans, and paper from trash and set it out in the city-issued recyclable container. The city provides the first container free; recyclables placed loose or in any other container are left at the curb.
Warren Mandatory Curbside Recycling Program
Some RestrictionsWarren City Code § 16-3
There is hereby established within the city a program ("curbside program") for the separate collection of municipal solid waste compostables and recyclable materials from all residents of the City.... All residents and other persons in charge of any premises located within the city areas serviced by the curbside program, established by this article, shall source separate all designated recyclab...
Illegal Dumping
Warren bans dumping litter on public or private property without the owner's consent under City Code Sec. 16-5(d). The rule covers streets, waterways, parks and private lots, and violators face blight-violation penalties enforced by the administrative hearings bureau.
Warren Illegal Dumping and Litter Ban
Significant RestrictionsCity of Warren Code of Ordinances Sec. 16-5(d)
The term "litter" as used in this section means all solid waste, compost material, paper, glass, cans, bottles, trash, debris or other foreign substances of every kind and description. It is unlawful for a 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 per...
Yard Waste Collection
Warren's curbside program requires brush cut to four-foot lengths and bundled under 35 pounds, with no piece thicker than two inches. Residents cannot set yard waste, compost, or recyclables at the curb before 6:00 p.m. the day before scheduled pickup, and empty containers must return to storage within ten hours of collection.
Warren Yard Waste and Brush Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsWarren City Code § 16-3(b)
b.All brush shall be cut into four-foot lengths or less and tied into bundles weighing not more than thirty-five (35) pounds in weight. No individual piece of brush may exceed two (2) inches in diameter....f.NO SOLID WASTE, COMPOSTABLE, OR RECYCLABLE MATERIAL SHALL BE PLACED AT THE CURB OR STREET FOR COLLECTION PRIOR TO 6:00 P.M. OF THE CALENDAR DAY PRIOR TO THE RESIDENTS SCHEDULED PICK-UP DAY....
Dumpster Rules
Warren requires refuse and recycling containers, including commercial dumpsters, to be screened from view of any adjacent residential use or public right-of-way, excluding alleys, under Zoning Ordinance Section 4D.40. Approved screening is a six-foot opaque masonry wall matching the building's primary material; standard concrete block is prohibited, though live landscaping is encouraged alongside the wall.
Warren Refuse Container Screening Rule
Some RestrictionsWarren, MI Zoning Ordinance (Appendix A) § 4D.40
Section 4D.40. - Refuse, recycling container screening. Containers for refuse and recycling uses shall be screened from view from any adjacent residential use or public right-of-way, excluding alleys. Screening may consist of a six (6) foot high opaque wall constructed of masonry material which matches the primary masonry of the principal structure on the site. Standard concrete blocks are proh...
Collection Schedule
Warren runs a citywide curbside program for solid waste, compost, and recyclables, with the collection days set and published by the director of public service rather than fixed in the ordinance itself. City Code Sec. 16-3(a) requires every resident in a serviced area to follow that published schedule and place materials out for pickup on the assigned dates.
Warren's Mandatory Curbside Collection Program
Some RestrictionsWarren City Code § 16-3(a)
There is hereby established within the city a program ("curbside program") for the separate collection of municipal solid waste compostables and recyclable materials from all residents of the City. Separate collections of compostables and recyclable material shall occur in the manner and on the schedule as set forth by the director of public service. Such schedules shall be published by the cit...
Recycling Rules
Warren's curbside program requires every resident to source-separate recyclable material, glass, cans, plastics marked 1 or 2, newspaper, and mixed paper, from regular trash before it goes to the curb. City Code Sec. 16-4 makes disposing of designated recyclables in a manner inconsistent with the ordinance unlawful, and haulers may refuse to collect trash from anyone who fails to separate.
Warren Requires Curbside Recycling Separation
Some RestrictionsWarren City Code §§ 16-2, 16-4
No person shall dispose of leaves, yard waste, compostables, or designated recyclables, nor arrange for the disposal of the same or cause the same, to be disposed of in any manner inconsistent with this ordinance. ... Recyclable material: Glass bottles and jars without caps; tin and aluminum cans; plastic containers marked "1" (PETE) or "2" (HDPE); newspapers, newspaper inserts, telephone books...
Looking for Macomb County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Warren city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Macomb County →