Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Romulus
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 Cart with Green Lid Bin (Trash)
All trash must fit inside the 96-gallon cart with the lid completely closed. Other bags and receptacles will not be accepted. Carts must be out by 6:00 a.m. on collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Normal household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Food waste and residue
- ✓Small amounts of bagged pet waste
Green Cart with Yellow Lid Bin (Recycling)
All recyclables must be placed loosely in the designated yellow-lidded cart. Do not bag your recyclables, and ensure items are lightly rinsed.
Accepted Items
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastic containers and jugs
- ✓Metal cans (aluminum and tin)
- ✓Newspapers, mail, and flattened cardboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Medical waste or syringes
- ✕Antifreeze and gasoline
- ✕Household hazardous waste
Yard Waste Bin
Must be in brown paper yard bags or a 32-gallon container with a 'Yard Waste' sticker. Twigs must be tied in bundles no more than 3 feet in length and under 50 lbs. No plastic bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Small branches and twigs
- ✓Shrubs and weeds
- ✓Fallen leaves
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly on your regular service day
Placement
Keep bulk items at least three feet away from your automated carts. Note that four bundles of tied carpet (under 50 lbs each) counts as exactly one bulk item.
Accepted
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (must be wrapped in plastic)
- ✓ Upholstered furniture (must be wrapped in plastic)
- ✓ Rolled carpet (cut to 4-foot lengths, tied, under 50 lbs)
- ✓ Professionally drained appliances
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous chemicals and liquid waste
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Undrained appliances containing Freon
The weekly 3-item limit is included in your standard municipal hauling services. Residents with massive cleanouts can purchase a landfill voucher at the Treasurer's Office to dump directly at Woodland Meadows.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Collection will be one day behind if one of the observed holidays falls during the week (Monday through Friday) on or before your collection date.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste collections are suspended from mid-December through early April, so winter holiday delays predominantly affect standard trash and recycling.
If a holiday falls on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday), your standard collection schedule will remain unaffected.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Unwrap Your Recyclables
Never place your recyclables inside plastic grocery bags. The flexible plastic film wraps around the sorting gears at the recycling facility, causing dangerous jams. Keep your items loose in the yellow-lidded cart.
Secure The Freon
While Romulus accepts large appliances for bulk pickup, refrigerators and air conditioners containing Freon cannot be simply dragged to the curb. They must be professionally drained and properly tagged by a certified technician before WM will collect them.
Separate Composting Properly
Yard waste trucks operate independently from the regular garbage trucks. If you mix household rubbish into your yard waste bags or cans, the entire container will be contaminated and left at the curb.
Seasonal Information
Spring
April - MayYard waste collection officially resumes the second full week of April. Prepare your overwintered brush and early lawn clippings, ensuring all branches are tied in bundles under 3 feet and 50 lbs.
Autumn
October - NovemberFall leaf drop is heavy in Southeast Michigan. Keep your yard waste bags tightly packed and ensure they are placed curbside before the compost collection season ends the second full week of December.
Winter
December - MarchHeavy Wayne County snows can delay routes. If a winter storm occurs, make sure your carts are placed on a shoveled driveway approach and not perched on top of snowbanks where the automated truck arms cannot reach them.
About Romulus Waste Management
Comprehensive Solid Waste Collection with Waste Management
The City of Romulus partners with Waste Management (WM) to provide a streamlined, automated curbside collection program. Each household receives a 96-gallon green-lid trash cart and a 64-gallon yellow-lid recycling cart. Carts must be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your designated collection day, and no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the evening before. Because collection is fully automated, no bags or materials left outside the designated carts will be collected unless properly classified as bulk waste.
Wayne County Curbside Recycling
Romulus encourages all residents to participate in its curbside recycling program to divert usable materials away from the Woodland Meadows Landfill. Recyclables such as glass, plastic containers, cans, and newspapers are collected on the same day as your regular rubbish. Residents who need more capacity can request to upgrade their recycling cart to a 96-gallon size for an additional charge, while seniors aged 65 and older have the unique option to downsize their carts to a 36-gallon size at no fee.
Romulus Weekly Bulk Trash Allowances
Disposing of large household items in Romulus is extremely convenient thanks to the generous three-item weekly bulk allowance. On your regular trash day, you can set out large items like furniture, rolled carpet, and appliances. However, preparation is critical: upholstered furniture and mattresses must be fully wrapped in plastic, and carpet must be cut, rolled, and tied into bundles no longer than four feet.
Seasonal Yard Waste and Composting Guidelines
Maintaining the beautiful neighborhoods of Romulus requires managing seasonal yard debris. WM collects yard waste from the second full week of April through the second full week of December using a dedicated separate truck. All grass clippings, twigs, and leaves must be packed into biodegradable brown paper yard bags or standard containers bearing a city-issued 'Yard Waste' sticker. Ensure your yard waste is kept at least three feet away from your standard rubbish carts.
Drop-off Facilities
Woodland Meadows Landfill (Waste Management)
5900 Hannan Rd, Wayne, MI 48184
Materials Accepted
Wayne County Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Various pop-up locations across Wayne County
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I contact to request a replacement if my trash cart is damaged?
Every cart has a specific serial number coded to your address. You must contact Waste Management directly at (866) 797-9018 for information regarding cart replacements and warranty repairs.
Can seniors get a smaller trash can in Romulus?
Yes! The City of Romulus offers a special provision where residents aged 65 and older can decrease their 96-gallon or 64-gallon carts to a smaller, more manageable 36-gallon cart at any time with no additional fee.
How many bulk items can I throw away each week?
Under the Waste Management contract, each residence is allowed to set out up to three bulk items per week. If you are discarding carpet, four small rolled bundles (max 4 feet long and 50 lbs) count as one bulk item.
What is the proper way to dispose of a mattress in Romulus?
For the health and safety of the sanitation workers, all mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture must be completely wrapped and sealed in plastic before they can be collected at the curb.