Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Willoughby
Ohio waste management services operate on weekly zone-based schedules. Exact pickup days vary based on your local municipality or private franchise hauler.
State Mandate
Ohio EPA regulations prohibit the disposal of whole scrap tires in standard landfills.
Blue or Green Republic Cart Bin (Trash)
Fill the 96-gallon cart first. Up to 3 additional cans or 5 extra bags may be placed next to it if needed. Place at the curb no earlier than 7:00 PM the night before and by 7:00 AM on collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Everyday food waste (drained, wrapped, and bagged)
- ✓Juice boxes and waste paper
- ✓Puncture-proof containers with sharps or broken glass
- ✓General household refuse
Blue or Green Republic Cart with Light Blue Lid Bin (Recycling)
Recycling is collected every other week. Place the recycling cart on the opposite side of your driveway from your trash cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Cardboard and chipboard
- ✓Clean paper products
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastics #1, #2, #5
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Yard waste
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Tanglers (cords, hoses)
Yard Waste Bin
Yard waste runs from April 1 through November 30. Use 50lb brown Kraft bags or cans clearly marked 'yard waste'. Brush must be tied in bundles no longer than 4 feet and weighing no more than 30 lbs.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Brush and small branches
- ✓General plant matter
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By request on regular collection day
Placement
Place approved bulk items within 3 feet of the curb no earlier than 7:00 PM the day before pickup.
Accepted
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (wrapped)
- ✓ Cloth and standard furniture (wrapped)
- ✓ Refrigerators and freezers (doors removed)
- ✓ Washers, dryers, window A/C units
- ✓ Rolled carpeting (4-foot lengths)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Large car parts and batteries
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ Liquid waste and paint
- ✕ Contractor building materials or demolition debris
Bulk pickups are generally included in the standard residential cart service plan, but you must call 216-441-6300 to notify dispatch. Low-volume bag customers may incur fees for large items.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a recognized holiday falls on or before your regular pickup day, your refuse and recycling collection schedule will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste Exception
Holiday delays apply to all Republic Services routes, including seasonal yard waste collection.
Use the Republic Services Holiday Schedule tool on their website to verify your exact delay.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Spring
AprilCurbside yard waste collection officially resumes on April 1st. Ensure your yard waste bags or designated containers are set out on your regular trash collection day.
Fall
October - DecemberThe City Service Department begins its loose leaf collection program in late October. Keep piles free of sticks and branches to prevent damage to the city's leaf vacuum machinery.
Winter
December - MarchSnow plowing takes precedence over leaf collection. If heavy snow hits before December, loose leaf collection will be temporarily suspended until the snow melts and roads are cleared.
Local Tips & Community Info
Sanitation Guidelines for Willoughby Neighborhoods
Preserving the historic charm of Downtown Willoughby and its surrounding neighborhoods relies on an effective municipal waste program. The city contracts with Republic Services to manage weekly curbside refuse and recycling collection for all single-family properties. To ensure your household trash is removed efficiently, you are required to wheel your carts to the curb edge by 7:00 a.m. on your specific collection day. Leaving your containers out too late means the automated trucks will bypass your home, and drivers are strictly prohibited from altering their routes to pick up late placements.
Clearance Rules for Automated Carts
Because Republic Services uses mechanical lifting arms to empty the bins, residents must follow exact spatial requirements. There needs to be a minimum three-foot radius of empty space around every container. Do not cluster your trash and recycling carts together, and keep them well away from utility poles, mailboxes, and parked cars. The cart's wheels must face your house so that the lid hinges open toward the street. Furthermore, all household garbage should be contained inside tied bags before going into the cart to stop windblown litter.
Lake County Recycling Directives
Willoughby strongly supports Lake County’s broader environmental initiatives through a single-stream recycling program. Your designated recycling bin is the place for clean corrugated cardboard, plastic jugs, glass bottles, and metal cans. The most important rule to follow is to keep these items completely loose. Bagging recyclables inside plastic grocery sacks creates severe hazards at the processing plant, as the flexible plastic wraps around the sorting gears. Any cardboard that exceeds the cart's capacity should be broken down flat and stacked neatly underneath the lid.
Getting Rid of Bulky Junk
If you are remodeling or simply clearing out the basement, you may occasionally need to throw away oversized items. The current contract allows Willoughby households to set out one large bulk item—such as a piece of furniture, a mattress, or an appliance—per week on their normal trash day. To protect sanitation workers, any upholstered items or mattresses must be entirely sealed in a plastic cover. If you need to dispose of a refrigerator or freezer, state law requires that the Freon be extracted by a certified technician before it can be legally hauled away.
Seasonal Yard Debris Instructions
From mid-April through the end of November, Willoughby provides dedicated yard waste collection to help residents manage their lawns. Organic matter like grass clippings, leaves, and small twigs must be disposed of in brown Kraft paper bags or loose in a designated 32-gallon personal trash can marked with a 'Yard Waste' decal. Do not use plastic bags for organic debris. Branches must be cut to lengths of four feet or shorter and bundled tightly with natural twine so that one worker can easily toss them into the truck.
Service Interruptions Due to Holidays
The weekly collection calendar is subject to change during six major national holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Whenever one of these holidays lands on a Monday through Friday, all subsequent pickups for that week will happen one day later than usual. Friday collections will shift to Saturday. Once the new week begins, the schedule completely resets to its normal routine.
Drop-off Facilities
Lake County Solid Waste District
2039 Blase Nemeth Road, Painesville, OH 44077
Materials Accepted
Greenvision Compost Facility
1291 E. 289th Street, Wickliffe, OH 44092
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to put my garbage out in Willoughby?
All refuse, recycling, and yard waste containers must be positioned at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your assigned pickup morning.
Who is responsible for trash pickup in the city?
The City of Willoughby contracts with Republic Services to handle all residential garbage and recycling operations.
How do I throw away an old mattress?
You may place one bulk item like a mattress out per week on your regular trash day, provided it is fully wrapped and sealed in plastic.