Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Grand Rapids
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.
City-Issued Cart (Gray/Dark) Bin (Trash)
Carts must be placed at the curb by 7:00 AM on your collection day. Ensure you maintain a positive account balance. Since this is a Pay-As-You-Throw system, your cart will be tipped and charged if left at the curb, even if empty.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Food wrappers
- ✓Textiles
Blue Cart with a Yellow Lid Bin (Recycling)
Recyclables must be placed loosely in the cart without being bagged. Collection occurs every two weeks. Items should be at least 75% clean and free of excessive food residue.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean paper and cardboard
- ✓Plastic jugs, tubs, and bottles
- ✓Metal and aluminum cans
- ✓Clean glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Soft plastics and grocery bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Batteries and electronics
- ✕Food-soiled cardboard (like greasy pizza boxes)
Yard Waste Bin
Yard waste is collected from early April through mid-December. You must use a city yard waste cart with a $6.50 Yellow Tag, a $2.75 City Paper Bag, or bundle branches (under 4 feet long and 2 inches thick) with a $2.75 Green Bulk Tag.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Small twigs and branches
- ✓Garden debris
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
On demand (requires prepaid sticker)
Placement
Place the bulky item at the curb by 7:00 AM on the business day following your online or in-person sticker purchase. Sectional couches require a separate $40 sticker for each individual section.
Accepted
- ✓ Appliances (refrigerator and freezer doors must be removed)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (count as one item together)
- ✓ Furniture and dressers
- ✓ Bathtubs and sinks
Not Accepted
- ✕ Televisions of any kind
- ✕ Hazardous waste
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Tires
Stickers cost $40 each and can be purchased online, at the City Hall Customer Service storefront, or at select local supermarkets.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a recognized holiday falls on a weekday on or before your regular collection day, your pickup will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste collection follows the exact same holiday delay schedule as refuse and recycling during the active season.
If the holiday falls on a weekend, collection schedules typically remain unaffected.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Soft Plastics Out of the Blue Bin
The Kent County Recycling Center is highly efficient, but soft plastics like grocery bags, shrink wrap, and bubble wrap tangle the sorting machinery [2.2.1]. Always take plastic film to a local grocery store drop-off, or throw it in your regular trash cart.
Avoid Greasy Cardboard
A pizza box soaked in grease can ruin an entire batch of clean paper. Keep food residue and liquids out of your blue-and-yellow recycling cart. Tear off the clean top of a pizza box to recycle it, and throw the greasy bottom half away.
No Wish-Cycling Batteries or Foam
Styrofoam packaging and household batteries are strictly prohibited from curbside carts. Batteries can cause dangerous truck fires, and foam breaks down into un-sortable beads. Take them to designated Kent County drop-off centers instead.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December - MarchWest Michigan experiences heavy lake-effect snow. You must clear a completely snow-free path for your carts and never place them on top of snowbanks. The automated mechanical arm needs clear, ground-level access.
Spring
AprilCurbside yard waste collection officially resumes the first full week of April. Ensure you have purchased your yellow cart tags, green bulk tags, or city-issued paper bags in advance from City Hall or a local vendor.
Autumn
October - NovemberDuring peak leaf drop, remember that raking loose leaves into the street is not permitted. All yard waste must be managed using tagged carts, official paper bags, or dropped off for free at the Butterworth Street facility.
About Grand Rapids Waste Management
Understanding the Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) System
The City of Grand Rapids operates an innovative Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) trash collection system designed to encourage recycling and reduce waste. Residents maintain a prepaid account balance, and the city charges a fee only when the refuse cart is actually tipped. Because the trucks utilize automated mechanical arms, any trash cart left at the curb on your scheduled collection day will be tipped and your account will be charged, regardless of whether the cart is full or empty.
Maximizing Your Blue and Yellow Recycling Bin
To help residents save money in the PAYT system, Grand Rapids offers a free, single-stream curbside recycling program. Recyclables are collected every two weeks in distinctive blue carts with yellow lids. By diverting clean cardboard, paper, glass, and metal out of your household garbage, you can downgrade to a smaller trash cart size—such as the 32-gallon option—and stretch your refuse account balance much further.
Navigating Bulk Item Stickers
Disposing of large furniture or appliances in Grand Rapids requires a little bit of planning. You cannot simply leave heavy items on the curb. Residents must purchase a $40 Bulk Item Sticker for each oversized piece of debris either online, at the City Hall Customer Service storefront, or at select local supermarkets. It is important to note that while a mattress and box spring together require only one sticker, a sectional couch requires a separate $40 sticker for every individual section.
Comprehensive Curbside Yard Waste Options
From the first full week in April until mid-December, keeping your yard pristine is made easy through a variety of curbside options. Residents can order a dedicated 96-gallon yard waste cart that requires a $6.50 yellow tag per tip. Alternatively, you can purchase official City of Grand Rapids yard waste paper bags for $2.75 each, or bundle small brush using a $2.75 green bulk tag. Plastic bags are strictly prohibited for any organic material.
Handling West Michigan Winter Weather
Lake-effect snow is a defining feature of winter in Grand Rapids, and it can occasionally disrupt waste collection. During heavy snowfall, residents must ensure that their carts are never placed on top of or behind snowbanks. A clear, flat path must be shoveled at the end of the driveway so the truck's mechanical arm can securely grasp the carts without risking damage to the bin or the vehicle.
Drop-off Facilities
City of Grand Rapids Yard Waste Drop-Off
2001 Butterworth St SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534
Materials Accepted
Kent County Recycling & Education Center
977 Wealthy St SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) trash system work in Grand Rapids?
You only pay for trash when your cart is emptied. Each tip deducts a specific fee from your prepaid account balance based on the cart size (e.g., $3.63 for a 32-gallon cart). Note that if you leave your cart at the curb, it will be tipped and charged regardless of whether it is full or empty.
What should I do with large pieces of furniture or old appliances?
You must purchase a $40 Bulk Sticker for each oversized item. While a mattress and box spring together require only one sticker, a sectional couch requires a sticker for each individual section. Purchase stickers online or at City Hall, and have items at the curb by 7:00 AM the following business day.
How do I properly dispose of my yard waste during the active season?
Between April and mid-December, you have three curbside options: use a 96-gallon yard waste cart with a $6.50 yellow tag attached per tip, use a City of Grand Rapids paper yard waste bag ($2.75 each), or tie brush into bundles under 4 feet long and attach a $2.75 green bulk tag.
Are televisions accepted in the curbside bulk item pickup?
No, televisions and computer monitors are strictly prohibited from curbside bulk collection. You must take electronics to a designated Kent County e-waste drop-off facility, such as the recycling center on Wealthy Street, for proper disposal.