4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Oakland County, Michigan.
Verified from official government sources
Oakland County does not run countywide trash collection. Refuse service is provided by each of the 62 cities, villages, and townships either directly or through one of two regional authorities: SOCRRA (Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority, 12 communities including Royal Oak, Troy, Berkley) and RRRASOC (Southwest Oakland, 9 communities including Farmington Hills, Novi, Southfield). SOCRRA rules require trash at curb by 7:00 a.m. on collection day, no bag over 40 lb, no can over 60 lb, no container larger than 35 gallons.
SOCRRA Curbside Trash Guidelines (12-community service area)
Place trash out to curb by 7 am on your collection day. Bags cannot weigh more than 40 pounds. Trash cans cannot weigh more than 60 pounds. Bags or cans of trash cannot be larger than 35-gallons. No Sharps collected curbside.
Oakland County does not set bin placement rules. Most municipalities require carts to be set within 3 feet of the curb on collection day and removed within 12-24 hours after pickup, kept screened from street view between collections. SOCRRA and RRRASOC carts must not block the sidewalk and must clear the snow plow line in winter. Royal Oak Chapter 633 prohibits placing refuse at the curb earlier than 5:00 p.m. the night before collection.
SOCRRA and RRRASOC member communities accept bulk items (furniture, appliances, carpet) at the curb on regular collection days. SOCRRA rules: carpet must be cut into 4-foot lengths and bundled, refrigerator doors must be removed and placed beside the unit. SOCRRA also operates a drop-off center at 995 Coolidge in Troy. Oakland County's NoHaz program collects household hazardous waste at scheduled events for residents of participating communities.
Oakland County does not mandate recycling countywide, but participating communities provide curbside recycling through SOCRRA, RRRASOC, or a private hauler. SOCRRA accepts plastics #1-2 and #5, paper, cardboard, glass bottles/jars, and metal cans in a single-stream cart. Plastics #3, #4, #6, #7, plastic bags, and food-soiled items are NOT accepted curbside. Michigan's 10-cent bottle deposit (MCL 445.571) covers beer, soft drink, and water bottles separately.
1 cities in Oakland 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 Oakland County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Oakland County Ordinance Hub →