Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Brownstown Charter Township
Michigan residential pickups occur weekly. Please check your local township or city map for your exact neighborhood collection day.
State Mandate
Keep yard clippings out of landfills. Return deposit bottles separately.
Green Lid (96-gallon cart) Bin (Trash)
Cart use is strictly required. No extra bags or loose trash outside the cart. Place at the curb by 7:00 a.m. (no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the night before). Place lid opening toward the street.
Accepted Items
- ✓Normal residential rubbish
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Safely contained sharps in plastic bottles
Yellow Lid (96-gallon cart) Bin (Recycling)
Collection is every-other-week. Items must be rinsed and clean. Do not crush plastic bottles. Place at least 3 feet away from your rubbish cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard and paperboard
- ✓Newspaper, junk mail, office paper, and magazines
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastic bottles and containers (caps left on)
- ✓Food and beverage cans/cartons
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Greasy food containers (pizza boxes)
- ✕Bio-hazard waste or loose needles
- ✕Yard waste
Yard Waste Bin
Yard waste collection runs seasonally from the first full week of April through the first full week of December. Check the township calendar for specific dates.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Garden prunings
- ✓Small branches
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
One item per week, by appointment only
Placement
Place at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your normal service day after scheduling. A separate truck will arrive to collect it.
Accepted
- ✓ Appliances and furniture
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (must be securely wrapped)
- ✓ Dressers (drawers removed, clothing bagged)
- ✓ Toilets and hot water tanks
- ✓ Dried latex paint
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction and roofing debris
- ✕ Liquid waste (gasoline, auto oil)
- ✕ Car and truck parts/engines
- ✕ Tree stumps over 50lbs
- ✕ Tires and concrete/bricks
Bulk pickups are generally free (1 per week), however, items containing Freon (refrigerators, freezers, A/C units) incur a $55.00 removal fee at the time of scheduling.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a Waste Management holiday falls on a weekday, service will be pushed back by one day for the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste Exception
Seasonal yard waste follows the exact same holiday delay schedule as regular trash and recycling.
Service will NOT be delayed when an observed holiday falls on a weekend.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Leave the Caps On and Don't Crush Plastics
Unlike some older recycling programs, Brownstown's current WM guidelines request that you leave the caps on your plastic bottles and avoid crushing them before tossing them into the yellow-lidded cart.
Keep Plastic Bags Out of the Yellow Cart
Plastic grocery bags, trash bags, and flexible film wraps are strictly prohibited in your recycling cart. They jam up the sophisticated sorting gears at the recycling facility. Take them to local grocery store drop-offs instead.
Proper Needle Disposal is Critical
Loose medical sharps pose a severe threat to sanitation workers. Never put them in the recycling. Always secure them in a hard plastic laundry detergent bottle, tape the lid shut, and place it in the regular trash.
Seasonal Information
Spring
April - MayYard waste pickup officially resumes during the first full week of April. Additionally, Brownstown Township hosts an Annual Spring Clean-Up Week in May to help residents clear out winter clutter.
Autumn
September - DecemberAn Annual Shred Day is hosted in September for safe document disposal. Make sure to wrap up your final yard cleanup early, as curbside yard waste collection ends after the first full week of December.
Winter Holidays
November - JanuaryThanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day all trigger a one-day delay in waste collection if they fall on a weekday. Ensure you adjust your cart placement schedule accordingly.
About Brownstown Charter Township Waste Management
Streamlined Waste Collection in Brownstown Charter Township
Maintaining the pristine neighborhoods of Brownstown Charter Township requires a highly coordinated effort. Through a comprehensive partnership with Waste Management (WM), residents are provided with a streamlined, automated curbside collection system. Every single-family household is equipped with two heavy-duty 96-gallon bins: a green-lidded cart for household refuse and a yellow-lidded cart for single-stream recycling. This standardized approach ensures faster route times, minimizes street litter, and keeps Wayne County looking its best.
Strict Cart Protocols and Township Aesthetics
Brownstown strictly enforces a cart-only mandate. Personal garbage cans and loose bags left on the ground will simply not be collected by the automated trucks. If you frequently exceed the 96-gallon capacity, you must contact WM directly to rent an additional cart. Furthermore, local aesthetic standards under Ordinance 164 dictate that all residential waste receptacles must be stored in a reasonably inconspicuous location—away from public view—when it is not your designated collection day.
The 48-Hour Rule for Bulky Junk Removal
Unlike municipalities where bulk items can just be hauled to the curb indiscriminately, Brownstown requires a proactive approach. You are permitted one free bulk item per week, but you must reserve your pickup at least 48 hours in advance by emailing [email protected] or calling the WM hotline. Because regular automated trucks cannot handle oversized items like couches or appliances, scheduling guarantees that a specialized secondary truck is dispatched specifically for your address.
Every-Other-Week Recycling and Specialized Disposal
To maximize environmental efficiency, the yellow-lidded recycling carts are serviced on a bi-weekly schedule. Residents are encouraged to flatten all cardboard and thoroughly rinse containers. For medical safety, Brownstown has a specific local guideline for sharps and needles: never put them in the recycling. Instead, place used needles into a heavy-duty plastic container, like an empty laundry detergent jug, tightly secure the lid, and dispose of it directly in your green-lidded trash cart.
Drop-off Facilities
Riverview Computer Collection Center
City of Riverview (Refer to Wayne County Resource Guide for details)
Materials Accepted
Wayne County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events
Various locations designated by Wayne County
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I schedule a bulk item pickup in Brownstown Township?
You are allowed one bulk item per week, but you must reserve your pickup at least 48 hours before your regular service day. You can schedule this by calling WM at (866) 797-9018 or emailing [email protected]. You will receive a confirmation ticket number.
Are there any rules for throwing away a mattress or refrigerator?
Yes. All mattresses and box springs must be securely wrapped in plastic to be collected. For refrigerators, freezers, or air conditioners, you must call WM at least 48 hours in advance to declare the Freon item and pay a mandatory $55.00 refrigerant removal fee.
Can I leave extra garbage bags next to my trash cart?
No. Brownstown enforces a strict cart-only policy. All household rubbish must fit inside the 96-gallon green-lidded cart with the lid closed. Additional bags or personal receptacles left on the ground will not be serviced by the automated trucks.
Where am I supposed to store my trash carts during the week?
Per Township Ordinance 164, all residential waste and recycling containers must be stored on your property in a location that is 'reasonably inconspicuous' from the street and public areas, except when placed at the curb for your scheduled collection.