Refuse in the Heights

GFL Environmental is the City's contractor and will pick up almost anything if it is packaged correctly. Refuse and recycling must be out by 7 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 be larger than the 96 gallon cart, and in the case of smaller containers, may not exceed 50 pounds in weight (225 pounds for the 96 gallon cart). GFL Environmental may be reached at (844) 464-3587 or you can email GFL Environmental.

Residents now have the option to purchase a 96 gallon wheeled garbage cart directly from GFL! The cost is $75.00, Call GFL at (844) 464-3587 to order yours. Please note that this is a voluntary program for the convenience of our residents; the large cart is not required for garbage pickup.

Trash Collection Day

Are you unsure about which day is your normal trash collection day? View the Garbage Pick-Up Map (PDF)

Accepted Items

Appliances & Bathroom Fixtures

  • Bathtubs, Sinks, Toilets, Hot Water Tanks (not if cast iron)
  • Refrigerators, Stoves, Washers and Dryers - take all doors and lids off
  • Picked up on regular trash day

Furniture

  • Beds
  • Chairs
  • Couches
  • Mattresses and Box Springs
  • Bug infested furniture should be wrapped in plastic before placed at the curb

Carpet & Padding

  • Manageable for one person to handle
  • Must be rolled, folded, and tied
  • Cut into 3-4 foot widths

Miscellaneous

  • Car tires - must be cut in fourths or they will not be collected due to State law. Residents may also take them to a tire dealer and pay to have them disposed of
  • Garage Door - Cut into sections, tie in bundles that one person can handle
  • Glass Windows - Picked up / not recycled
  • Insulin Needles - See Medical Sharps Program
  • Latex Paint - completely hardened with lids off and set out with regular trash
  • Railroad Ties and Wooden Fencing - Cut into 3-foot lengths/bundle; set out some each week (no more than 50 pounds)

Items Not Accepted

  • Aluminum Foil - not recyclable
  • Any Car Parts
  • Bottles and cans - 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.
  • Bricks, Shingles (Roof), Drywall or Building Materials
  • Cast Iron Bathtubs logs
  • Cement, even if attached to something - Call Fiores Crushed Concrete at 586-939-6200
  • Paint cans with wet paint still in them (take off lid and let it dry; add cat litter to speed drying)
  • Propane Tanks (both large and small) - Call VanDyke Gas at 586-757-8500
  • Sod, Logs, Rootballs, Tree Stumps, dirt, pet waste, whole shrubs, or treated wood chips
  • Tires that are not cut in fourths
  • Household hazardous waste - please call US Ecology of Detroit at 800-592-5489