Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Royal Oak
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.
Blue 64-Gallon Cart (or personal 20-32 gallon can) Bin (Trash)
All trash placed in the blue 64-gallon cart must be bagged. Personal trash cans cannot exceed 60 pounds. Trash bags alone cannot exceed 40 pounds. Place at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household refuse
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging and wrappers
- ✓Small woody material 2 to 5 inches in diameter (properly bundled)
Green 64-Gallon Cart (or legacy 18-gallon green bin) Bin (Recycling)
All recycling must be placed loosely into the green cart. Never bag recyclables. Clean all food residue from containers before disposal to prevent contaminating the SOCRRA sorting facility.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard and boxboard
- ✓Clean glass bottles and jars
- ✓Metal cans and empty aerosol cans
- ✓Plastic containers (#1, #2, #4, #5, #7)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Styrofoam and bubble wrap
- ✕Hard book covers
- ✕Electronics and batteries
- ✕Pyrex or ceramics
Yard Waste Bin
Must be in a 30-gallon Kraft paper bag or a rigid 32-gallon can with a free SOCRRA compost sticker facing the street. Maximum weight is 50 pounds per container. Plastic bags are strictly prohibited.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings and weeds
- ✓Fallen leaves
- ✓Vines and garden plants
- ✓Twigs and branches under 2 inches in diameter
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly on your regular refuse collection day.
Placement
Place bulk items 2 to 3 feet away from your regular refuse carts by 7:00 a.m. Ensure refrigerator doors are completely removed. If you live on a cul-de-sac or dead-end, call DPS the day prior.
Accepted
- ✓ Household furniture (couches, mattresses)
- ✓ Rolled and tied carpet (cut into 4-foot lengths)
- ✓ Appliances and hot water tanks
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste and liquids
- ✕ Whole tires
- ✕ Concrete, bricks, and heavy masonry
- ✕ Branches thicker than 5 inches
Standard bulk pickup is included in municipal taxes. Very large cleanouts or excluded construction materials require renting a private dumpster or self-hauling to SOCRRA.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
When an observed holiday falls on a weekday, collection for the holiday and all remaining days of that week will be delayed by one day. Friday routes will be serviced on Saturday.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste follows the exact same holiday delay schedule as regular trash and recycling during the active April through December compost season.
Collections are not impacted if a major holiday falls on a weekend.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep the Hard Book Covers Out
If you are recycling old textbooks or hardcover novels, you must physically rip the hardbound covers off before tossing the pages into the green bin. Hard covers contain adhesives and materials that contaminate the standard mixed-paper recycling stream.
No Plastic Bags for Compost
Never use plastic bags for your leaves or grass clippings. Even plastics labeled as 'biodegradable' are strictly prohibited by SOCRRA and the State of Michigan in curbside yard waste. Only use approved Kraft paper compost bags.
Keep Recycling Loose
While Royal Oak mandates that you bag your regular garbage before tossing it in the blue trash cart, you must do the exact opposite for your green recycling cart. Keep all cans, bottles, and cardboard completely loose to prevent jamming the sorting equipment.
Seasonal Information
Spring to Early Winter
Early April to mid-DecemberCurbside yard waste collection actively runs from the first Monday in April through the third Friday in December. Once this season ends, residents can take a limited amount of yard waste directly to the SOCRRA facility through March.
Autumn Leaf Program
October and NovemberDuring heavy fall foliage, the city may offer specialized curbside leaf collection. Always check the official WROK or Insight Newsletter for specific leaf vacuuming dates and avoid putting anything other than leaves in the street.
Winter Holiday Delays
Late November through JanuaryIf a major holiday (like Thanksgiving or Christmas Day) falls on a weekday, trash and recycling collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week, pushing Friday routes to Saturday.
About Royal Oak Waste Management
SOCRRA Membership and Priority Waste Transition
Royal Oak contracts its residential solid waste, recycling, and seasonal yard waste collection to Priority Waste, while actively participating in the Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority (SOCRRA) for recycling processing. The Department of Public Service requires all standard household trash placed inside the blue 64-gallon carts to be completely bagged. All materials must be at the curb by 7:00 a.m., but no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the night before your collection day.
Strict Weight Limits for Carts and Bags
To protect sanitation workers and adhere to mechanical lifting limits, Royal Oak enforces strict weight restrictions for all disposal containers. Standard 13-30 gallon trash bags must not exceed 40 pounds, while personal refuse and yard waste containers (up to 32 gallons) cannot exceed 50 to 60 pounds. Oversized personal bins or overly heavy containers will be tagged with a rejection sticker and left at the curb by Priority Waste drivers.
Managing Large Metal Items and Appliances
Discarding large appliances in Royal Oak is straightforward, as a separate dedicated truck sweeps the city on your normal refuse day to collect items like water heaters, stoves, and refrigerators for recycling. For safety compliance, state law mandates that all doors on refrigerators and freezers be completely removed and set beside the unit. If you live on a dead-end street, cul-de-sac, or large condo complex, you must call the DPS at (248) 246-3300 the day before to ensure the specialty truck routes to your location.
Free Yard Waste Stickers and Branch Chipping Options
Unlike some neighboring cities, Royal Oak does not offer a free municipal brush chipping service; residents must hire private contractors for large tree removals. However, the city does provide weekly curbside yard waste pickup for compostable debris. If you prefer to use a standard 32-gallon trash can instead of Kraft paper bags, you can pick up a free SOCRRA yard waste decal at the Department of Public Service building on North Campbell Road.
Drop-off Facilities
SOCRRA Recycling Drop-Off Center
995 Coolidge Hwy, Troy, MI 48084
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I dispose of a refrigerator in Royal Oak?
Large appliances are picked up on your regular trash day by a separate bulk truck. By state law, you must remove the doors and set them aside. If you live on a dead-end street or cul-de-sac, you must call the DPS at (248) 246-3300 the day before your pickup to ensure the truck routes to your home.
Where can I get a yard waste sticker for my personal trash can?
If you prefer to use a standard 32-gallon trash can for your compost rather than paper bags, you can pick up a free SOCRRA yard waste decal at the Department of Public Service building (1600 N Campbell) or the City Hall Clerk's Office.
Can I throw tree branches in my yard waste bags?
Small twigs and woody material under 2 inches in diameter can go in your yard waste. However, branches between 2 and 5 inches thick must be cut into lengths of 2 to 4.5 feet, bundled with twine (under 50 pounds), and put out with your regular trash, not the compost.
What should I do if Priority Waste misses my trash pickup?
If your items were out by 7:00 a.m. and still missed, you can report it through the Priority Service Portal online or call the Royal Oak DPS at (248) 246-3300 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Note that Priority Waste will review truck camera footage to verify the bins were out on time before dispatching a recovery truck.