5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Kent County, Michigan.
Verified from official government sources
Kent County, Michigan does not provide curbside trash or recycling collection. The Department of Public Works operates the Waste-to-Energy facility, landfill, transfer station, and Recycling & Education Center; residents hire a private licensed hauler for pickup, with schedules set by that hauler and the municipality.
Kent County sets no rules for where to place trash or recycling carts at the curb. Set-out times, container placement, and how long bins may stay out are set by your private hauler and your city or township ordinance, since the county provides no collection.
Kent County does not offer curbside bulk pickup. Residents self-haul large and specialty items to county facilities. As of January 1, 2026 a mattress or box spring is $20 each, appliances with refrigerant $20 each, and regular tires $20 each; electronics and scrap metal are free.
Kent County offers free residential recycling drop-off and single-stream processing at its Recycling & Education Center, 977 Wealthy SW, Grand Rapids. Recycling is not mandatory countywide, but Michigan law (MCL 324.11555) bars sending yard waste to landfills except for diseased or contaminated material.
MCL 324.11555(1)(j)
Disposed of in a landfill or an incinerator. This subdivision applies to yard waste only if all of the following requirements, as applicable, are met: (i) The yard waste is any of the following: (A) Diseased or infested. (B) Plants that are prohibited species or restricted species... (ii) The yard waste includes no more than a de minimis amount of yard waste other than that described in subpara...
Dumping trash on public or private property in Kent County is illegal under Michigan's NREPA litter statute (MCL 324.8905a). Small amounts are a civil infraction with a fine up to $800; large loads (5+ cubic yards) are a misdemeanor with fines up to $5,000, plus mandatory cleanup.
MCL 324.8905a
A person who violates this part, if the amount of the litter is less than 1 cubic foot in volume, is responsible for a state civil infraction and is subject to a civil fine of not more than $800.00. ... The court shall order a person to remove the litter and remediate any damage caused to the property as a result of the violation.
1 cities in Kent County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Kent County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Kent County Ordinance Hub →