Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Mentor
Trash Day
Trash is collected weekly, Monday through Friday, depending on your street and neighborhood zone.
Recycling
Recycling is collected every other week on your regular trash collection day.
Yard Waste
Yard waste is collected weekly on your regular pickup day from the first full week of April through the second full week of December.
Set Out Time
By 7:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Curbside trash and recycling services in Mentor are contracted through Waste Management and billed directly to residents on a quarterly basis.
Billing Cycle
Quarterly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail
Pro Tip / Discount
Free walk-up service is available for physically impaired residents who cannot move bins to the curb. Additionally, qualifying seniors may be eligible for a 25% discount on county sewer bills through the Lake County Department of Utilities.
Green with green lid (Standard WM Cart) Bin (Trash)
Place carts at the curb no earlier than 3:00 P.M. the day before collection, and no later than 7:00 A.M. on collection day. Remove from the curb by 7:00 A.M. the following day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓General solid waste
Green with yellow lid (Standard WM Cart) Bin (Recycling)
Recycling is collected every other week. Items must be placed loosely in the bin. Do not bag recyclables. Rinse all containers clean before disposal.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastic bottles and containers (rinsed clean)
- ✓Glass bottles and jars (rinsed clean)
- ✓Food and beverage cans and cartons
- ✓Paper free of glue, glitter, or crayon
- ✓Flattened cardboard and paperboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Pizza boxes
- ✕Plastic bags and plastic wrap
- ✕Styrofoam (Polystyrene)
- ✕Shredded paper
- ✕Electronics and propane tanks
- ✕Plastic caps
Yard Waste Bin
Use paper yard waste bags or rigid containers up to 32 gallons (marked 'YW' with holes drilled for drainage). Each unit must weigh less than 35 lbs. No plastic bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves and plants
- ✓Small twigs and hedge trimmings
- ✓Brush (cut to 4-foot lengths and tied in bundles, under 3 inches in diameter)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly on your regular trash collection day
Placement
Place bulk items at the curb no later than 7:00 A.M. on collection day. Keep them separate from your regular trash cart to allow easy access for the specialized bulk collection truck.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, chairs, tables)
- ✓ Large appliances (refrigerators and AC units must have CFCs legally removed)
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Large household goods that don't fit in the cart
Not Accepted
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ Hazardous materials
- ✕ Construction or demolition debris
- ✕ Large auto parts
- ✕ Dead animals
- ✕ Yard waste
Bulk item pickup is included in the standard quarterly rate billed by Waste Management. No extra tags or fees are required for standard household furniture.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a recognized holiday falls on a weekday, service will be conducted the day after your regular pick-up day for the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste follows the same holiday delay schedule as regular trash and recycling since it is collected by Waste Management on the same day.
If the holiday falls on a weekend, your service will NOT be delayed.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Autumn
Late October - DecemberTo accommodate heavy fall foliage, Mentor increases the weekly curbside yard waste limit from 12 units to 25 units per week starting the last full week of October.
Winter (Post-Holiday)
JanuaryAfter the holidays, residents can drop off live Christmas trees at four specific city parks: Edward R. Walsh Park, Eleanor B. Garfield Park, Donald E. Krueger Park, and Morton Park.
Winter
January - MarchCurbside yard waste collection is suspended during the core winter months. The program officially ends in mid-December and does not resume until the first week of April.
Local Tips & Community Info
Waste Management Operations in Mentor
The City of Mentor contracts its residential garbage collection through Waste Management (WM). To keep neighborhoods tidy, there are strict timelines for putting out your bins. Homeowners are required to have their carts at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on their designated collection day. If you prefer to set things out the night before, city ordinances allow containers to be placed curbside no earlier than 3:00 p.m. on the day prior to pickup. Billed on a quarterly basis directly by WM, this service caters specifically to single-family homes on public residential streets.
Bi-Weekly Recycling Protocol
While general refuse is collected weekly, Mentor operates its curbside recycling program on a bi-weekly (every other week) schedule. Acceptable materials include standard glass bottles, metal cans, and plastics labeled #1 through #7. If you have cardboard boxes, they must be completely flattened and cut down to sizes no larger than four feet by four feet. Remember that plastic grocery bags are strictly prohibited in the recycling carts, as they tangle and damage the sorting facilities' heavy machinery.
Yard Waste Season and Specifications
Seasonal yard waste removal runs from the first full week of April through the second full week of December. Grass clippings and leaves can be packed into biodegradable paper bags or placed in rigid 32-gallon containers with holes drilled near the bottom for water drainage. Crucially, reusable yard cans must have the lid left off and be clearly marked with a large YW. If you are disposing of brush or branches, they cannot exceed three inches in diameter and must be securely tied in bundles no longer than four feet.
Large Bulk Disposal and Appliance Rules
You do not need to call ahead for standard bulk items like couches or household furniture; these are collected weekly alongside your normal trash. However, there are rigid environmental rules for discarding large appliances. If you need to throw away a refrigerator, freezer, or air conditioner, you must first hire a certified technician to extract the CFCs (Freon) and properly tag the appliance. Additionally, all doors must be completely removed from appliances before they are placed on the street to eliminate entrapment hazards.
Walk-Up Accommodation Services
Recognizing that maneuvering heavy tipcarts can be a physical burden, Mentor and Waste Management offer a special walk-up service. This program is designed exclusively for residents who are physically unable to move their garbage and recycling containers to the tree lawn. To qualify, the containers must remain outside of the garage and be situated within 75 feet of the curb, allowing the WM crew easy and safe access to empty them on collection day.
Holiday Schedule Interruptions
Like most utility providers, Waste Management observes six major national holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If one of these holidays falls on a standard weekday, your trash collection will be delayed by exactly one day for the remainder of that week. For example, a Thursday holiday pushes Thursday service to Friday. Holidays landing on a weekend do not disrupt the normal neighborhood routing schedule.
Drop-off Facilities
Lake County Landfill & Recycling Center
2039 Blase Nemeth Road, Painesville, OH 44077
Materials Accepted
Bulldog Batteries (Battery Recycling)
37645 Vine Street, Willoughby, OH 44094
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What time should my trash be on the curb in Mentor?
Your carts must be placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day, and no earlier than 3:00 p.m. the day before.
How do I dispose of a refrigerator in Mentor, Ohio?
The doors must be removed, and a certified technician must properly extract the Freon (CFCs) and tag the appliance before it can be collected curbside.
Does the city pick up Christmas trees curbside?
No, Christmas trees are not collected at the curb. After the holidays, residents must take their trees to one of the city's designated drop-off sites.