Dearborn Heights, MI Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

City Code § 17-35(b)(1) sets the storage rule for yard waste kept outdoors before collection: it must be in a heavy-duty paper bag the city deems acceptable, or in a plastic or metal receptacle with a non-mechanical locking cover, handles in good condition, and a volume capped at 35 gallons. As an exception, brush and sticks under 2 inches in diameter may instead be tied into bundles no more than 4 feet long, skipping the receptacle requirement entirely. Section 17-27 defines "yard clippings" as grass clippings, leaves, brush, Christmas trees, weeds and branches not exceeding 3 inches in diameter and 3 feet in length when bundled, plus wood chips, which is the material this storage rule governs.

All waste and its receptacles, including yard waste containers, must also be kept out of public view under § 17-35(c), typically in a garage or a rear yard screened from the front street, except when set out for collection under the timing rule in § 17-35(d). The department of public works publishes on the city's website what containers and bags count as "deemed acceptable to the city" under § 17-35(b)(6). A resident with an unusual need, such as an allergy to a required container material, can apply to public works under § 17-35(f) for a written permit to deviate from the storage standard.