Ann Arbor, MI Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Ann Arbor City Code Chapter 26
- Residential minimum
- Refuse collected at least weekly
- Commercial minimum
- Weekly unless Administrator permits otherwise
- Downtown deadline
- Collection completed by 11:00 a.m.
- First-offense fine
- $200 civil infraction
Summary
Ann Arbor's Chapter 26 requires the city, its contracted haulers, or franchise haulers to collect refuse from every residential and commercial customer at least once a week.
Residential customers. Refuse shall be collected at least once a week. The city may set different collection intervals for compostables and recyclables in the solid waste regulations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 26 sets the collection floor: refuse must be picked up at least weekly for both residential and commercial customers, with the city free to set separate schedules for recycling and compost through its solid waste regulations. Downtown-district haulers must finish collection by 11:00 a.m., and a late finish is a violation separate from a missed pickup entirely. Weather, labor disputes, and other circumstances beyond a hauler's control are the only recognized excuses for missing the weekly minimum in Washtenaw County's largest city.
Violations & Fines
Missing the weekly minimum or the downtown 11:00 a.m. cutoff is a civil infraction: $200 first offense, $400 second, up to $1,000 for later offenses in 5 years, per § 2:12.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must trash be picked up in Ann Arbor?
Is there a special pickup deadline in downtown Ann Arbor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ann Arbor
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