Kalamazoo, MI Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Kalamazoo City Code § 15A-2A bars placing or leaving a garbage or rubbish container closer to the street right-of-way than the closest roof-supporting vertical member of the main structure on the lot, meaning containers otherwise stay behind the house's front wall line. The exception is curbside collection: a resident with curbside service may move the container to the curb, or the streetside if there is no curb, for pickup only, but not earlier than 8:00 p.m. the day before collection, and it must come back off the curb no later than 11:00 p.m. on collection day itself.

Subsection B requires that all garbage be stored in a watertight container of metal, plastic, or other durable material that rodents cannot penetrate, with a tight-fitting lid or cover kept closed at all times, and that is serviceable without creating unsanitary conditions. Curbside customers may instead use sealed bags at the curb under Subsection A's timing rule, but only bags supplied by the collection company, approved by the Kalamazoo County Health Department, and colored bright red, yellow, or orange; if those bags sit outside before collection day, they must go into a watertight, tight-lidded container instead.

Subsection D of the same section makes the property owner, tenant, occupant, or the person placing the container responsible for a violation. Prosecutions may proceed by appearance ticket under § 15A-5, and the City Manager's office can enter private property to relocate or empty a misplaced container and bill the cost to the property owner under § 15A-7.