Kokomo, IN Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Under § 95.06(A), garbage and rubbish collected by the city's refuse crews must be placed in containers of no more than 30-gallon capacity, built of heavy-duty plastic or metal with a lid and handles strong enough to bear the weight, or in securely tied heavy-duty plastic bags filled no more than six inches from the top. Routes using the automated packer system require the city-supplied automated container instead; the old 30-gallon can is no longer accepted on those routes. Garbage that is not bagged or containerized properly, or whose container has broken and spilled its contents on the ground, will not be picked up, and 50-gallon drums or similar repurposed containers are barred outright, including from city right-of-way.

Division (H) is the placement rule: leaving trash or garbage containers on the sidewalk, in the strip between the street and sidewalk, in the front or side yard, or in any public place is a violation unless the Street Commissioner has issued a written variance because no other location is physically possible; even a variance cannot allow permanent placement in a public place or anywhere visible from the public street. Section 95.09(A) then fixes where collection actually happens along public streets: at ground level within five feet of an improved, passable alley when one is available, or within five feet of the front curb, unless the Street Commissioner designates a different spot.