Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Southgate
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.
Grey/Black Cart Bin (Trash)
Place carts at the curb with the serial numbers facing the street, ensuring the lid is completely closed. Keep a 3-foot clearance from mailboxes, vehicles, and other carts.
Accepted Items
- ✓Everyday household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Alkaline batteries
Blue Cart Bin (Recycling)
Recyclables must be placed loosely into the cart. Do not bag your recycling. Break down and flatten all cardboard to prevent it from getting wedged in the bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard and boxboard
- ✓Mixed paper, newspaper, and magazines
- ✓Empty metal and aerosol cans
- ✓Plastic bottles, jugs, and storage tubs
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Window glass and ceramics
- ✕Food liquids or residue
- ✕Electronics and rechargeable batteries
Yard Waste Bin
Use 30-gallon paper compost bags or clearly labeled 32-gallon personal cans. Branches must be tied in bundles no longer than 4 feet and weighing less than 60 lbs.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Small twigs and branches
- ✓Garden and organic debris
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly
Placement
Place bulk items 3 feet away from your regular refuse carts on the right side (when facing the house) by 7:00 a.m.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture and large household goods
- ✓ Mattresses (must be completely wrapped in plastic)
- ✓ Carpet (cut to 4-foot sections, tied, under 50 lbs)
- ✓ Appliances (doors removed)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Concrete, bricks, and dirt
- ✕ Tires and auto parts
- ✕ Liquid paints and hazardous chemicals
Standard bulk pickup is free and requires no limit limits. However, residents are required to pay a special extraction fee directly to Priority Waste for any appliances containing Freon.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If an observed holiday falls on a weekday, your scheduled service day will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week (e.g., Thursday collections move to Friday).
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste follows the exact same holiday delay structure during its active season (April to mid-December).
If a recognized holiday falls on a weekend, your regular weekly collection schedule will not be impacted.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Rechargeable Batteries Out of Bins
While standard alkaline batteries can go in the trash, lithium-ion and other rechargeable batteries cause dangerous fires in Priority Waste collection trucks. Always take them to a designated hazardous waste event.
No Plastic Grocery Bags
Even if they contain perfectly clean recyclables, plastic bags are banned from the blue recycling cart because they jam the sorting gears. Return them to a local supermarket instead.
Flatten Your Cardboard
Whole boxes take up massive amounts of space and can wedge tightly inside the cart, preventing it from emptying fully when the automated arm lifts it. Always break your cardboard boxes flat.
Seasonal Information
Spring
AprilCurbside compost and yard waste collection officially begins during the first week of April. Prepare your flower beds and ensure your personal yard waste cans have clearly visible stickers facing the street.
Winter
JanuaryFollowing the holidays, Priority Waste will collect discarded Christmas trees and miscellaneous garland alongside your regular trash. Ensure all ornaments, lights, and stands are completely removed.
Fall
DecemberThe annual compost pickup period concludes on the second Friday of December. Make sure to bag up your final batches of autumn leaves before the dedicated seasonal service pauses for the winter.
About Southgate Waste Management
Comprehensive Residential Waste Solutions in Southgate
Southgate residents benefit from a streamlined, all-in-one waste collection service managed by Priority Waste. The city provides a structured weekly schedule encompassing standard rubbish, recycling, and an impressively flexible bulk item policy. By maintaining standardized guidelines—like facing your cart's serial numbers toward the street and ensuring a three-foot clearance around each bin—Priority Waste’s automated trucks can efficiently keep Downriver neighborhoods clean and safe.
Unrestricted Weekly Bulk Pickup Allowances
One of the most exceptional features of Southgate’s municipal waste contract is the 'no limit' weekly bulk pickup. Unlike many neighboring Wayne County communities that strictly cap large items, Southgate allows residents to place household bulk waste like furniture, mattresses, and non-Freon appliances at the curb on their regular service day without pre-scheduling. To ensure the safety of sanitation workers, all mattresses must be completely wrapped in plastic.
Navigating Southgate's Seasonal Yard Waste Program
As the Michigan seasons change, so do the yard maintenance needs of homeowners. Southgate offers dedicated curbside compost and yard waste collection that runs annually from the first week of April through mid-December. To participate, all organic debris must be placed in 30-gallon biodegradable Kraft paper bags or in 32-gallon personal cans clearly labeled with a Yard Waste sticker.
Best Practices for Single-Stream Recycling
Keeping recyclables out of local landfills is easier than ever with Priority Waste's single-stream recycling carts. Southgate residents can conveniently toss flattened cardboard, empty aerosol cans, plastic jugs, and mixed paper into one bin. It is vital to remember that all materials should be placed loosely inside the cart; plastic bags and films are strictly prohibited as they tangle the sorting machinery at the material recovery facilities.
Drop-off Facilities
Wayne County Household Hazardous Waste Events
Various Locations (County-Sponsored)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the rules for bulk trash pickup in Southgate, MI?
Southgate offers an incredible 'no limit' weekly bulk pickup. You can place large items like furniture, tied carpet rolls (cut to 4-foot lengths), and mattresses at the curb on your normal collection day without pre-scheduling. Note that all mattresses must be wrapped in plastic.
How do I get rid of an old refrigerator or air conditioner in Southgate?
You can place appliances at the curb, but for safety reasons, you must completely remove the doors first. Because items like refrigerators and AC units contain Freon, residents are required to pay a special extraction fee to Priority Waste.
When does yard waste collection start and end in Southgate?
Compost and yard waste collection runs weekly from the first week of April through the second Friday of December. Place your organic debris in 30-gallon Kraft paper bags or stickered 32-gallon personal cans.
How should I position my Priority Waste trash carts at the curb?
Place your carts at the edge of the street by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day. Ensure the lid is closed, the cart's serial numbers face the street, and it is positioned at least 3 feet away from mailboxes, vehicles, and other bins.