Middletown, OH Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Container capacity
- 33 gallons or 70 pounds max
- Material
- Watertight metal, rubber or plastic
- Lids/handles
- Close-fitting lid, two opposite handles
- Placement
- Ground level, curbside, not in street
- Penalty
- Minor misdemeanor, fine up to $100
Summary
Every household and business in the City of Middletown must keep watertight metal, rubber or plastic garbage containers of no more than 33 gallons or 70 pounds, fitted with close-fitting lids and two handles, set at ground level curbside for the City's collector. Metal tubs, disposable boxes and unlined bags without a holder are not allowed, and containers may hold garbage and refuse together.
(a) No householder, or owner or operator of a commercial establishment in or upon premises within the City where garbage or refuse is accumulated or allowed to be, shall fail to procure and keep available, for the exclusive use on such premises or on the part thereof occupied by the householder or commercial establishment, metal, rubber or plastic watertight containers, not to exceed 33 gallons of capacity or 70 pounds in weight, to hold all the garbage or refuse accumulated thereon during the period of one week. ... (b) Such metal, rubber or plastic watertight containers shall have close-fitting lids, and for the purposes of collection, as provided in this chapter, shall each be provided with two handles on opposite sides thereof, and placed on the ground level of the premises at the curbside for the collector but not within the limits of a street or other public place.
Full Breakdown
05 of the Middletown Code sets the container standard citywide. Every householder, and every owner or operator of a commercial premises where garbage or refuse accumulates, must keep available watertight containers made of metal, rubber or plastic, capped at 33 gallons of capacity or 70 pounds of weight, to hold a full week's garbage or refuse. Disposable polyethylene or paper bags may be used, but only as a liner inside one of these containers or another type of holder, and must be sealed shut at the top; metal tubs and disposable boxes are barred outright.
Garbage and refuse can share the same container with no separation required. Containers must have close-fitting lids and two handles on opposite sides so the City's contracted collector can lift them, and must sit at ground level at the curb, never within the paved limits of the street or another public place. 04. 06, and any violation of those rules, or of the container standard itself, is a minor misdemeanor. This container and placement rule traces to a 1969 ordinance and has been amended since, most recently in 2013, to keep pace with the City's contracted collection service.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep an approved watertight container, using a prohibited metal tub or box, or leaving lids unsecured is a minor misdemeanor under section 1066.99(b), punishable by a fine of not more than $100. The same penalty applies to violations of Public Works and Utilities Director rules issued under section 1066.06. Separate personal-property dumping after an eviction carries a steeper fourth-degree-misdemeanor fine of at least $150 per day under section 1066.99(a).
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of garbage can can I use in Middletown?
Where do I have to place my garbage can for pickup?
Can I put garbage and recycling in the same can in Middletown?
What is the fine for an illegal garbage container in Middletown?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middletown
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