City provides details on upcoming expansion of solid waste collection, to begin June 3

2024
  • New contract will increase frequency of yard waste, recyclables, and bulk collection pickup to every week instead of every other week
  • City Council approved five-year contracts with Waste Management and new vendor Priority Waste

 

Starting June 3, Detroit residents will see a major change in the frequency of solid waste collection and an increased level of service under recently approved trash hauler contracts through the City of Detroit Department of Public Works (DPW).

Under the contracts with Waste Management and new vendor Priority Waste, recycling, yard waste and bulk items will be collected every week along with trash rather than bi-weekly. The new contract also includes expansion of services to collect debris on connector side streets, as well as the collection of household renovation materials. “We are pleased City Council approved the contracts to expand solid waste collection and are confident these changes will improve the quality of life for our residents,” said DPW Director Ron Brundidge. “Detroit residents will now have the same level of service our neighbors in the suburbs have had for years.”

Currently, residents have their trash picked up curbside on a weekly basis while bulk, recycling and yard waste are picked up on a bi-weekly basis. Vacant property pick up is also currently on a bi-weekly schedule.

On June 3, Priority Waste will begin collecting refuse for residents in neighborhoods east of Woodward and in Southwest Detroit.  All other collections will occur on the same day of the week as trash collection. Waste Management will continue collecting refuse for residents on the west and northwest sides of the city.

Under the expanded contracted service beginning June 3:

  • Trash in Courville containers will continue to be collected every week
  • Bulk items will be collected every week
  • Recycling will be collected every week
  • Yard waste will be collected every week
  • Vacant property pick up will occur every week
  • Household renovation debris, which was not part of services, will now be picked up
  • Side street debris, which was not part of previous services, will now be picked up

Residents are excited and giving positive feedback concerning the curbside trash collection changes. “I love it! We need to have weekly pick-up services in the city,” said Charity Whitaker, Beaconsfield Block Club president. “This will only help to keep our communities beautiful.”

“I am so grateful and happy to have these new contracts and services especially the expanded bulk pick up. We are doing a lot in our area and must maintain a clean, safe environment for our children,” said Keisha Brooks, Haverhill Block Club president and business owner.

Both contracts are for five years with five one-year renewal options. Priority Waste will service 94,000 households, and Waste Management will serve 133,000 households. The annual cost for both contracts is $40 million.  Contractors will be paid out of funds generated from the City’s Solid Waste Fund.  Residents now pay $240 per year for all solid waste services. Costs to residents will increase annually this year by $10, another $10 in 2025 and $10 in 2026 for an average of $0.83 a month.

Seniors and other residents who have a HOPE exemption may quality for a 50-percent discount on the solid waste fee, making their fee increase $5 per year for the next three years.

For more information, please visit the City’s Web site at www.detroitmi.gov/dpw.

DPW also offers affordable paid curbside pickup for bulk and yard waste that exceed the City’s collection limits. Call 313-876-0004 to request a quote.

Residents are encouraged to take any items that exceed the limit and need to be disposed of right away to any of the free drop-off locations below:

LOCATION                                                                              HOURS OF OPERATION

Southfield Yard, 12255 Southfield Service Drive                           Mon – Sat, 8am-6pm

Davison Yard, 8221 W. Davison Ave.                                                Mon – Sat, 8am-6pm

Fons Transfer Station, 6451 E. McNichols Rd                                Mon – Fri, 8am-4pm; Sat 8am-1pm

Residents can find out their next recycling and bulk collection date by visiting detroitmi.gov and typing their address into the "My Home Info" search field. 

For additional information about current collection schedules or to report concerns, residents should call their current assigned contractor:

East and Southwest Detroit residents should call GFL Environmental at (866) 772-8900. After June 3, East and Southwest residents should call Priority Waste at (855) 927-8365.

Westside residents should call Waste Management at (844) 233-8764.

For Illegal Dumping / Excessive Debris, please call (313) 876-0426.

Additionally, residents can sign up to receive weekly reminders about trash, bulk, and recycling collection by subscribing to the free DPW text messaging service. Residents can text their address to (313) 800-7905.

Sidenote about today’s Courville Street press conference:

During the 1990’s, City of Detroit DPW experimented with four style types of trash containers on a few streets to see which would work best. Courville Street was one of the test streets and their style container was chosen as the one we use today. That’s why we refer to the trash containers as Courville.