Sanitation

Republic Services provides weekly residential trash, monthly recycling, and seasonal yard waste removal for the City of Muskegon.  Pick up days are determined by 5 residential zones located on this map.  You can also search by address.

Cart/Bin Rules

• Containment & Bulk Items: All trash must be bagged and placed inside the city-issued cart; overflow or scattered items are not permitted. Bulk items, large items, and extra bags that do not fit in the cart require a bulk sticker for collection. Stickers may be purchased from the City Treasurer’s Office for $3.00 each or 4 for $10.00.
• Placement & Spacing: Carts must be placed within 2 feet of the road with the handle facing the home. Maintain 3–5 feet of space between carts, at least 4 feet from mailboxes or poles, and 5 feet from parked cars.
• Overhead Clearance: Do not place carts under low tree branches or power lines; a minimum vertical clearance of 15 feet is required.
• Timing: Carts may be placed at the curb starting at 4:00 PM the night before pickup and must be removed no later than 7:00 AM the day after pickup.

Items Not Allowed

The following items are strictly prohibited from city trash carts:

• Hazardous Materials: Any liquid, flammable, chemical, or medical waste.
• Automotive/Industrial: Oil products, vehicle parts, and tires.
• Home & Yard Waste: Glass windows and yard waste (leaves, grass, branches). See below for rules on yard waste.
• Unauthorized Containers: Personal bins are not accepted for collection.

For service requests or concerns call Public Works at 231-724-4100.

Yard Waste will be picked up curbside on your garbage day from the first week of April through November weather permitting.

Yard waste must be in paper yard waste bags or rigid 35-gallon (or less) garbage cans marked for yard waste.

Cans are used at the expense of the resident; Republic and the City are not responsible for personal containers being damaged during service.

Cardboard boxes are no longer accepted by the yard waste collection site.

Brush must be 4ft or less in length and 4 inches or less in diameter.

It must be in a container as previously stated or tied in bundles. All containers, bags, and bundles must weigh 30 lbs or less. Absolutely no plastic bags are allowed. Please set the yard waste container(s) at least three feet away from your garbage can.

The City of Muskegon offers curbside, single-stream recycling to City residents on an opt-in basis. Once opted in, the service will provide a 90-gallon tote to the requesting resident’s address, and pickup will be once every four weeks. The city contracts with Republic Services for both trash and recycling.

Learn more here: Recycling Program

If you are interested in signing up for this program, please use the tool below or contact the City of Muskegon Department of Public Works at (231) 724-4100.
If a second recycle bin is needed, please contact Republic directly to sign up at 231-375-2065.

If a holiday falls on a weekday, garbage services will be delayed by one day after the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• 4th of July
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

The cost to replace a lost/stolen garbage cart or add an additional cart is $55.00.  Each additional cart is $13.00 per month and the charge will appear on the water bill. Since the fee is added to the water bill, permission is required from the property owner. Please bring your driver’s license or state ID to the Treasurer’s Office or email a copy of your driver’s license or state ID to [email protected].

The unauthorized use of City of Muskegon carts is not allowed. Violators will be charged $35 per incident.

Hardship Stickers are available to residents that are physically unable to use a garbage cart. Contact 724-4100 for details.

Mixed Refuse Stickers are $3.00 each or four stickers for $10. They are required for household furniture and any extra garbage that will not fit in your cart. All extra waste must have a refuse sticker attached to each article and visible from the road or it will not be picked up. Only Six (6) stickers may be used at one time per residential pickup. These can be purchased at the Muskegon City Hall – 933 Terrace, or at the Dept of Public Works at 1350 E Keating Ave.

Acceptable sticker items are: Bags of Garbage (30lbs or less), Household Furniture, Mattress & Box Springs (must be wrapped and sealed), Metal & Wood Furniture, Carpet & Pads (rolled into 4 foot sections and must be 30lbs or less), Storm Doors, Windows, Toilets, Bathtubs, Sinks, Cardboard Boxes (Flattened, Tied in bundles less than 30lbs), Television Sets(30lbs or less).

Non-Acceptable Sticker Items are: Appliances, Batteries, Hazardous Waste Material, Christmas Trees, Engine Parts, Car Parts, Building Materials, Tires, Bags of Grass or Leaves, Brush or Twigs.

Christmas trees placed at the curb will be picked up through January 30 on your regular trash day. Tree sections needs to be cut into pieces of 4 feet or less in length.

Neighborhood Dumpster Days happen twice a year. The City of Muskegon partners with our Neighborhood Associations to provide Dumpster Days throughout the 15 city neighborhoods to provide residents the opportunity to dispose of rubbish and large items that would not normally fit in their garbage bins at no cost. The sites are monitored by un-paid volunteers and it often turns into a great opportunity to meet some of the neighborhood association members. Schedule is available here. 

Dumpster Day List of Unacceptable Items:

• Animal Carcasses
• Animal Waste
• Asbestos
• Ashes
• Barrels (unless rinsed and/or empty with both ends cut off)
• Batteries
• Vehicle Parts
• Concrete
• Corrosive Waste
• Empty Tanks (gas, oil, fuel, unless rinsed and cut in half)
• Flammable waste
• Fluorescent light tubes (large quantities)
• Hazardous Waste
• Liquids
• Medical Waste
• Motorized tools/machines with gas and/or oil in tanks
• Paint (can accept if dry or hardened)
• Radioactive waste
• Reactive waste
• Septic waste
• Sewage treatment plant solids
• Sludge
• Soil
• Tires
• Used oils- motor, hydraulic, mineral, cutting etc.
• Yard Waste
• Appliances (unless freon is removed)
• Motorized Tools/machines (unless gas and oil have been removed)

Household Hazardous Waste is managed by the Muskegon County Department of Public Works. Please call 724-6001 for the collection dates and times. Utilize the Household Hazardous Waste and Recycling Guide as well.