Wayne County cities require carts at the curb no more than 24 hours before pickup and removed within 24 hours after. Storage must be out of front-yard view between collections.
Trash and recycling cart placement rules are set by each Wayne County municipality. Detroit requires carts to be placed at the curb with the handle facing the house, wheels to the street, and at least 3 feet of clearance from other objects so the automated truck arm can lift them. Carts cannot be set out more than 24 hours before collection day and must be returned to the side or rear of the house within 24 hours after pickup. Dearborn, Livonia, Westland, and most suburban cities have nearly identical rules and additionally require between-collection storage behind a fence, in a garage, or behind the front building line so carts are not visible from the street. Carts blocking sidewalks, driveway sight lines, fire hydrants, or bus stops violate local code. Overfilled carts with lids that cannot close may be skipped. Damaged, lost, or stolen city-issued carts should be reported for replacement, and residents are typically not charged for normal wear. Winter placement on snowbanks often causes missed pickups.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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See how Wayne County's bin placement rules rules stack up against other locations.
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