Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Sterling Heights
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.
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Curbside trash and recycling services are coordinated through the city's municipal contract with Priority Waste, while municipal water and sewer utilities are billed separately each month.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Credit Card, Debit Card, eCheck, Mail, Phone, In Person
Pro Tip / Discount
Low-income assistance is available through the Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP), and backdoor trash service is offered to seniors age 67+ and residents with a verified disability.
Typically Dark/Issued Cart Bin (Trash)
Trash must be bagged inside the 95-gallon cart. The cart has a strict 60-pound weight limit when full. Carts must be placed at the curb by 7:00 AM on collection day, but no earlier than 1:00 PM the day before. The lid opening must face the street.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste and wrappers
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Textiles
Cart with Recycling Logo Bin (Recycling)
Place items loosely in the recycling cart. Ensure containers are rinsed and free of food residue. Keep the recycling cart at least three feet away from your refuse cart to allow the automated truck arms to operate safely.
Accepted Items
- ✓Cardboard (flattened/bundled to 2'x3')
- ✓Plastic containers and bottles (numbers 1-7)
- ✓Metal and tin cans (empty)
- ✓Clean glass bottles and jars (discard lids)
- ✓Mixed paper, newspaper, and magazines
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic shopping bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Motor oil containers
- ✕Ceramics of any kind
- ✕Food-soiled materials
Yard Waste Bin
Use 30-gallon heavy-duty paper bags (max 50 lbs), a brown Priority Waste cart, or a repurposed dark green cart labeled with compost stickers. Pickups operate from April 1st through the second week of December.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Shrubs and garden debris
- ✓Brush trimmings (under 6 inches in diameter, bundled in 4-foot lengths)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly on your scheduled trash collection day
Placement
Place items by the curb no earlier than 1:00 PM the day before your pickup and no later than 7:00 AM on your service day. Do not obstruct sidewalks or fire hydrants.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (couches, mattresses, chairs)
- ✓ White goods and large household appliances
- ✓ Tied and bundled refuse (under 4 feet and 50 lbs)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Large-scale remodel and construction debris
- ✕ Hazardous chemicals and wet paint
- ✕ Dirt, concrete, and heavy auto parts
Cleanouts exceeding the 5-item limit require scheduling a special pick-up, which ranges from $137.50 to $275 depending on size, or renting a private roll-off dumpster.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If your scheduled service day falls on or after a recognized holiday during the week, collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste and bulk collections follow the same holiday delay schedule as standard refuse pickups.
For Thanksgiving Day (Thursday), only Thursday and Friday collections are delayed by one day. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday routes remain unaffected.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Spring through Fall
April - DecemberWeekly yard waste collection begins on April 1st and concludes after the second week of December. Remember to switch from regular yard carts back to standard trash disposal methods for organic waste during the winter.
Winter
December - JanuaryLive Christmas trees are picked up during Christmas week and the four weeks immediately following the holiday. Ensure all tinsel, ornaments, and stands are completely removed before placing the tree at the curb.
Year-Round
January - DecemberDuring heavy snow or high wind events, do not place carts in the street where they interfere with snowplows or traffic. Keep them securely on your driveway easement and retrieve them promptly after they are emptied.
Local Tips & Community Info
Priority Waste and the Standard Curbside Guidelines
The City of Sterling Heights has partnered with Priority Waste to handle all residential garbage and recycling operations. Each single-family household is equipped with an official 95-gallon refuse cart, which has a 60-pound weight restriction when full. To ensure the automated collection trucks can efficiently service your property, you must roll your carts to the street edge no later than 7:00 a.m. on your designated weekday route. However, city ordinances stipulate that carts cannot sit at the curb indefinitely; you may place them out no earlier than 1:00 p.m. the day before your scheduled pickup. Furthermore, all containers must be positioned with the lid opening facing the roadway and spaced at least three feet apart from mailboxes, landscaping, and other bins.
Managing Bulk Refuse: The Five-Item Weekly Limit
Unlike some municipalities that require special scheduling for large items, Sterling Heights incorporates bulk pickup into your regular weekly service route at no extra charge. The catch is that households are strictly limited to five bulk items per week. This is ideal for tossing an old mattress (which must be securely bagged if soiled or infested), a couch, or a broken refrigerator. Be aware that massive move-out piles or complete garage cleanouts will be rejected by the driver. For smaller loose items like rolled carpet or wood boards, everything must be tied into bundles measuring no longer than four feet and weighing under 50 pounds.
Recycling the Right Way in Sterling Heights
Utilizing your blue recycling cart effectively keeps tons of reusable materials out of Macomb County landfills. Sterling Heights operates a single-stream curbside recycling program, meaning all eligible plastics, clean cardboard, and metal cans can be mixed together in the same container. The golden rule here is to leave everything loose. Plastic wrap and grocery bags jam up the sorting facility's machinery, so never put your recyclables inside a plastic garbage bag before tossing them in the blue cart.
Seasonal Yard Waste Requirements
Yard debris collections run on a seasonal calendar, typically beginning in late March and concluding in mid-December. Residents can dispose of grass clippings, twigs, and autumn leaves by placing them in heavy-duty 30-gallon paper bags, which carry a 50-pound maximum weight limit. Alternatively, residents who generate a lot of organic waste can purchase an optional 95-gallon yard waste cart directly from the Priority Waste portal, which can hold up to 100 pounds of compostable material.
Schedule Disruptions and Holiday Shifts
Throughout the calendar year, major national holidays occasionally interrupt the normal Monday-through-Friday pickup routes. Sterling Heights recognizes New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If one of these specific holidays falls on a weekday, curbside collections for that day and the remainder of the week are delayed by exactly 24 hours. Regular service schedules always resume the following Monday.
Drop-off Facilities
Priority Waste Transfer Station & Corporate Offices
6200 Elmridge Dr, Sterling Heights, MI 48313
Materials Accepted
Macomb County Household Hazardous Waste Program
43525 Elizabeth Road, Mount Clemens, MI 48043 (Health Department)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the earliest I can put my trash out in Sterling Heights?
According to city regulations, you can place your refuse and recycling carts at the curbside no earlier than 1:00 p.m. the day before your scheduled collection day.
How many bulk items can I throw away each week?
Sterling Heights residents are permitted to place up to five bulk items at the curb each week on their regular collection day. Anything beyond this limit requires a special paid pickup.
Who do I call if my garbage wasn't picked up?
For missed pickups or general sanitation questions, you should contact the Department of Public Works (DPW) at (586) 446-2440.