Is recycling automatic in Detroit or do I have to sign up?
You have to opt in. The City of Detroit offers free curbside recycling to single-family homes and buildings with 1 to 4 units, but it is voluntary and residents must request a blue recycling cart before service starts. You can sign up by playing the city's online Recycling Challenge game, calling Green Living Science at (313) 871-4000 ext. 3, or paying a $25 fee to order a cart directly through your waste hauler (Priority Waste on the east side and southwest Detroit, or Waste Management on the west side).
What can go in Detroit's blue recycling cart?
Detroit's curbside program accepts five material types: cardboard, mixed paper, metal cans and clean foil, glass bottles and jars, and rigid plastics like bottles, jugs, and containers. Everything needs to go in loose, not bagged, and items should be empty, clean, and dry. Plastic bags, Styrofoam, food waste, batteries, light bulbs, and construction debris are not accepted curbside.
Does Detroit recycle glass curbside?
Yes. Glass food and beverage bottles and jars in any color are accepted in the curbside blue cart, alongside cardboard, paper, metal, and rigid plastics. Glass that is not food or beverage packaging, like vases, window glass, mirrors, or drinking cups, is not accepted curbside.
Where can I take electronics or household hazardous waste in Detroit?
Detroit residents can drop off paint, batteries, pesticides, electronics like computers, TVs, and cell phones, and other home toxics for free at the Household Hazardous Waste Receiving Facility at 2000 E. Ferry Street, near I-75 and I-94. It is open every Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and the fourth Saturday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and it is limited to Detroit residents. Recycle Here!, the city's other drop-off site, stopped taking electronics, light bulbs, and batteries in 2021, so those items now go to the Ferry Street facility instead.
How does bulk trash pickup work in Detroit?
The Department of Public Works collects bulk items, along with trash, recycling, and yard waste, on a weekly schedule tied to your address. Bulk items and renovation debris need to be set out separately at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day, limited to about 2 cubic yards, with each item, bag, or bundle weighing under 50 pounds. Hazardous materials like paint, asbestos, and lead are not picked up curbside and have to go to the Ferry Street hazardous waste facility instead.