Refuse & Recycling Information
REFUSE IN THE HEIGHTS
Below are a few guidelines to follow as you prepare your refuse for pickup. Rizzo Services is the City’s contractor and will pick up almost anything if it is packaged correctly. Refuse and recycling bins MUST be out by 7:00 a.m. on your garbage day and out no earlier than 12 hours prior to pick up. Refuse containers need to be removed within 12 hours after pick up. Containers must not exceed fifty (50) pounds in weight or be larger than 32 gallons. Waste Management may be reached at 1-888-877-4996.Are you unsure about which day is your normal trash collection day? Click this link for the Daily Garbage Pick-Up Map on our Maps/GIS page. (Click "I Understand and Agree" after the disclaimer.)
WE PICK UP:
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Appliances & Bathroom Fixtures - Refrigerators, Stoves, Washers & Dryers - take all doors & lids off
- Picked up on regular trash day Bathtubs, Sinks, Toilets, Hot Water Tanks (not if cast iron).
- Couches, Chairs
- Beds, Mattresses & Box Springs.
Cut into 3-4 foot widths
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Must be rolled, folded, & tied
- Manageable for one person to handle.
- Garage Door - Cut into sections, tie in bundles that one person can handle
Glass Windows - Picked up / not recycled
Railroad Ties & Wooden Fencing - Cut into 3-foot lengths/bundle; set out some each week (no more than 50 pounds)
Car tires – must be cut in half or they will not be collected due to a new State law. Residents may also take them to a tire dealer and pay to have them disposed of.
Insulin Needles - See Medical Sharps Program below
Latex Paint: completely hardened with lids off and set out with regular trash.
WE DON'T PICK UP: 
- Tires that are not cut in half
- Any Car Parts
- Bricks, Shingles (Roof), Drywall or Building Materials
- Cement, even if attached to something - Call Fiores Crushed Concrete at (586) 939-6200
- Aluminum Foil - not recyclable
- Cast Iron Bathtubs
- Paint cans with wet paint still in them (take off lid & let it dry; add cat litter to speed drying)
- Propane Tanks (both large & small) - Call VanDyke Gas at (586) 757-8500
- Sod, Logs, Rootballs, Tree Stumps
- No bottle or can that has a 10 cent Michigan deposit on it can be thrown away in the garbage. Due to a new State law, it must be either returned for cash or recycled.
RUBBISH ORDINANCE
The City's Rubbish Ordinance only allows for containers with a maximum capacity of 32 gallons. Please take a look at your containers to be sure they are no larger than 32 gallons. If they are, please find another use for them and replace them with the proper size. Thank you for your cooperation!
Appointments to drop off your household hazardous waste can be made by contacting E.Q. (Environmental Quality) of Detroit, Inc., at 1-313-923-2240 or 1-800-495-6059.
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WHAT TO BRING: |
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The Contractor has the right to inspect and refuse collection of items at curbside if:
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Garbage bags are available for $15.00 per box. A box contains 100, 30-gallon plastic bags that are heavy duty (2 mil). Bags may be purchased at the DPS (801 Ajax Drive) or Finance Department at City Hall (300 W. 13 Mile). Prices are subject to change without notice.
Cleaning out your garage or basement? Please be reasonable in the amount of garbage that is put out in one week. If you have collected items over the years and are interested in cleaning them out, instead of putting them out all at once, help the workers on the truck and put out some of the junk neatly each week for several weeks. It's not just your home -- they pick up 9,500 homes per week! Thanks for your help!
If the amount that you put out to be collected is significantly above the normal amount of garbage put out by the average homeowner or if it is put out incorrectly, you may be charged the additional fee of $20.00 per cubic yard for collection and disposal. A little extra each week is collected at no additional cost.
Recycling is mandatory in Madison Heights. Recycling bins can be purchased at the Public Services Department. The City is now selling the container and lid $10.50. We recommend that you put your address on both the lid and bin in case they are separated such as on windy days. Separate your recycling container from your regular refuse by 3 feet. All recycling items must be placed inside the container for pickup.
ACCEPTABLE ITEMS FOR RECYCLING:
Glass Bottles & Jars Metal
Plastic Jugs & Bottles
Corrugated Cardboard, Paperboard, Boxboard
- Magazines & Catalogs
- Glossy magazines and catalogs Tie securely with string or use a strong rubber band.
- Newspapers, Glossy Advertisements & Inserts
- Newsprint Ads TIE SECURELY with string or place in brown paper grocery bag (place bag in recycling bin).
- Brown Paper Grocery Bags
- >Fold and place inside another paper grocery bag.
- Place in recycling bin.
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Do not bundle with newpapers or magazines. Keep dry inside recycling bin.
Telephone Books
- >Fold and place inside another paper grocery bag.
- Household Batteries
- Place in clear plastic bag inside bin.
- NO automotive batteries.
ITEMS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR RECYCLING:
Window Glass, Light Bulbs & Dishes - Ceramic Bulbs, Pyrex, Broken Glass (safety reasons) & Aluminum Foil
- Plastic Bags & Microwave Dishes
- Motor Oil Containers
- Plastic Containers used for petroleum products
- Automotive Batteries.
You can recycle your rechargeable batteries and wireless phones free of charge at Office Depot! The type of batteries includes: nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion and small sealed lead rechargeable batteries weighing less than two pounds. Additionally, cell phones are refurbished, recycled or resold, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Participating Office Depot locations are 32706 Jon R in Madison Heights and 871 E. Big Beaver, both in Troy.
For the disposal of medical sharps or syringes, use an empty liquid laundry detergent bottle. When the bottle is full, secure the lid with tape and place in with your regular trash.
PLEASE: DO NOT place loose needles in your trash. It is against the law.
If you want something picked up that is not normally picked up, call Rizzo Services at 1-888-887-4996. They will give you a price on disposal. You may also call and arrange for disposal at a landfill yourself.