4 rules for unincorporated St. Joseph County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
St. Joseph County's Solid Waste Management District, empowered by IC 13-21-3-12, runs countywide recycling but not garbage. South Bend's city Solid Waste division collects trash weekly in a 48- or 96-gallon cart; Mishawaka contracts Waste Management; unincorporated residents hire a private hauler.
IC 13-21-3-12
Except as provided in section 14.5 of this chapter and subject to subsection (b), the powers of a district include the following: ... The power to plan, design, construct, finance, manage, own, lease, operate, and maintain facilities for solid waste management.
Set-out rules are municipal, not countywide. South Bend requires carts out by 6:00 a.m. on collection day, within two feet of the curb, lid closed and opening facing the street, three feet from other bins. Mishawaka also wants carts curbside by 6:00 a.m.
Bulk items go through your city, not the county. South Bend schedules large-item pickup and Mishawaka collects up to two bulk items each week. Dumping instead is littering under IC 35-45-3-2, a Class B infraction with a judgment up to $1,000.
IC 35-45-3-2
A person who recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally places or leaves refuse on property of another person, except in a container provided for refuse, commits littering, a Class B infraction.
Recycling is countywide but voluntary. The St. Joseph County Solid Waste Management District, through Borden Waste-Away, gives each household one 96-gallon cart collected every other week. Accepted plastics are #1-5 and #7, rinsed with caps removed.
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