How it works
Republic Services is contracted by the City to offer two curbside bulk trash pickups each year. Watch the Union Enterprise, the Shoppers Guide and the website calendar for dates. For specific questions, call Republic Services at 888-249-5112 or 269-216-8000.
Curbside pickup
- Place items at the curb after 3:00 PM Friday and by the end of the day Sunday night.
- Drivers will be out starting at 6:00 AM. Please have your items out before 6:00 AM Monday to make sure they are picked up.
- Republic Services will not return to a section once they have completed the route. Streets are done only one time.
- It may take a full week to reach the entire City.
Large items only
Bulk trash pickup is for large items only that do not fit in your regular weekly pickup. Smaller items that fit in a garbage bag should go out with your usual trash pickup, not for bulk trash pickup.
Pickup is limited to 3 cubic yards per dwelling unit, about the size of a pickup truck bed. Please note: Republic employees are not allowed to unload vehicles or trailers.
Acceptable items
- Mattresses: must be in a plastic bag
- Furniture
- Toys and bicycles
- Appliances such as stoves and refrigerators: door removed or wired shut for safety. Freon must be removed and the unit tagged by a licensed facility showing that the freon has been removed.
- Home fixtures and other items that are not considered hazardous
- Latex paint: paint must be dried in its container (use sawdust or kitty litter)
- Small amounts of building materials, such as doors (limit 2), cabinets and fencing: material needs to be cut down to fit into the truck and be lifted by one person
- Small car parts
- Tires, only if cut into flat pieces
Unacceptable items
- Small items: if items fit inside a trash bag, put them out with your normal weekly trash
- Black trash bags or any packaging that keeps workers from seeing the items inside
- Windows or glass
- Large plastic drums
- Concrete
- Large pieces of metal
- Yard waste (see yard waste pickup)
- Liquid waste or hazardous waste
- Whole tires (may be acceptable if cut into flat pieces) and tires on rims
- Non-latex paints and varnishes
- Regulated medical waste
- Motor oil, batteries and solvents
- Large car parts such as engine blocks, bodies, oversized hoods and doors
- Building demolition material: while certain amounts of construction debris are acceptable, large volumes, such as garage or house demolition debris that would normally need a construction-style dumpster, cannot be taken
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) lists most of the unacceptable items above as banned from Michigan landfills.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call Republic Services of Southwest Michigan at 1-888-249-5112 or 269-216-8000.