Warren, MI Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Sec. 16-3(b) sets five preparation standards for curbside collection. Newspapers must be bagged or tied in bundles that don't exceed 35 pounds or one foot in thickness. Brush must be cut into pieces no more than four feet long and two inches in diameter, tied into bundles weighing no more than 35 pounds. Compostable material must go in a clear plastic bag; the code is explicit that compostables not so bagged will not be picked up, and even bagged compost can't exceed 40 pounds gross weight.

Recyclables must go in the recyclable material container the City of Warren provides; loose recyclables, like loose compost, will not be picked up. Solid waste itself must be thoroughly drained of liquids and be wrapped in several thicknesses of paper before being placed in receptacles for collection. These aren't cosmetic suggestions, the ordinance ties each one directly to whether the crew will take the material at all, shifting the compliance burden onto the resident before the truck ever arrives. The same subsection separately requires appliances with latching doors to have the door removed before pickup, and requires documentation that refrigerant has been removed by a certified contractor from air conditioners, refrigerators, and freezers before curbside collection.