Waste Removal
The City produces a downloadable brochure to help explain the City's waste removal services. Most of the information in the brochure can be found below.
Following, please find information on the City's:
• Residential Refuse Collection
• Curbside Recycling Program
• Yard Waste Collection
• Yard Waste Reduction Tips
• Free SOCRRA Recycling Drop-Off Center
If you should have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Oak Park Department of Public Works at (248) 691-7497.
Residential Refuse
COLLECTION
The City of Oak Park now has a five-day trash collection schedule. This schedule allows the City's waste hauler (which is contracted through SOCCRA) to have smaller, more manageable routes, allowing for improved service. Currently, the City's waste hauler is GFL, and the scheduled routes are below. All waste must be at the curb on your scheduled day by 7 am. Those seeking to contact GFL with waste collection comments/concerns can do so at their dedicated customer service line, (248) 513-8528.
Do you have questions on what can / can't be taken via curbside collection? Click here for the SOCRRA Waste Wizard
REFUSE CONTAINERS
All refuse must be contained in an approved 95-gallon cart or a refuse can with handles and a lid (between 10 and 32 gallons in size) Plastic trash bags with a minimum thickness of 2 mills are also acceptable. Plastic trash bags must be tied at the top or bundled in such a way that they can be readily handled by a single collector. The combined weight of any receptacle and its contents must not exceed 60 pounds, while no bag can weigh more than 40 pounds.
City approved containers can be purchased from the Utility Billing Division. 95-gallon containers: $75.00. 65-gallon containers: $65.00. Once purchased the container can be picked up at DPW, or the city provides free delivery on Wednesdays.
BULK ITEMS
Carpeting and padding must be rolled and either tied or taped into bundles less than 4 feet long weighing 40 pounds or less.
LARGE ITEMS
Household items such as furniture, appliances, mattresses, etc. may be picked up separately. On your regular refuse collection day, you can set out up to three large household items separately from your regular refuse. If you have more than three items to dispose of at a time, you can use SOCRRA’s Troy Transfer Station. An appointment is not needed but fees may apply. Visit the SOCRRA website for additional information.
Refrigerator doors must be removed and placed next to the unit for safety reasons. Place at the curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on refuse collection day. Please note: All mattresses MUST be placed in a placed in a plastic bag. If the mattress is not placed in a bag, it will not be collected.
HAUL YOUR OWN JUNK AWAY
Every year, the city hosts “Haul your own junk away days”. This event is held three times a year at the Ice Arena (14200 Oak Park Blvd.) parking lot. This is an opportunity for Oak Park residents to bring their bulk trash and place it into roll off dumpsters. Please be sure to place your item inside of the dumpster. ID may be required to verify residency.
Items accepted include: Broken concrete, rubbish, appliances, brush, household building materials.
Items not permitted include: Tires, oil / solvents, hazardous materials, light bulbs,
2024 Junk Away dates are:
- Friday, April 19 thru Monday, April 22, 2024
- Friday, June 21 thru Sunday, June 23, 2024
- Friday, September 13 thru Sunday, September 15, 2024
RECYCLABLES
Curbside recycling pickup is scheduled for the same day as refuse collection. Recyclables must be placed in containers approved by the Department of Public Works and recycling guidelines must be followed.
Curbside Recycling
HAVE A QUESTION ON WHAT YOU CAN RECYCLE? Check out the SOCRRA Waste Wizard at
SOCRRA RECYCLING FLYER
Click here for the SOCRRA recycling flyer.
- Paper
- Junk Mail
- Cardboard
- Magazines
- Milk Cartons
- Juice Boxes
- Empty Cans (e.g., soup cans)
- Empty Aerosol Cans
- Glass Bottles (all colors)
- Glass Jars (all colors)
- Plastic Bottles
- Plastic Jugs
- Plastic Cartons
Yard Waste
Notice to Residents:
YARD WASTE MUST BE SEPARATED FROM REGULAR REFUSE
In accordance with state law, branches, leaves, hedge trimmings, grass clippings and other yard waste must be separated from regular refuse at all times of the year. Yard waste recycling conserves landfill space, helps the environment, and saves money. Curbside yard waste collection begins the first week of April and ends the third week of December. During winter months, residents can bring their shrubs, bags of leaves, grass, or brush bundles (up to 10 filled yard bags or bundles per home per day) to the SOCRRA Recycling Drop-off Center at 995 Coolidge (across from Meijer) without an appointment.
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
BRUSH AND YARD WASTE PICKUP
YARD WASTE: Yard waste includes grass clippings, leaves, small twigs (1/4 inch in diameter or less), shrub trimmings, weeds, and general yard and garden waste materials. Separate yard waste from regular refuse and set out for pick up in either a 30-gallon paper yard waste bag or a refuse can with an Oak Park Yard Waste Recycling decal attached. Decals are available at the Water Department or the Department of Public Works.
LARGE BRANCHES/BRUSH: Large branches and brush will be collected from the first Monday in April through the third week of December. Holiday trees will be collected through the second week of January. Residents may also bring their trees to SOCRRA’s Recycling Drop-of Center in the yard waste container. No appointment is necessary is only disposing of your tree and other yard waste, but proof of residency is required.
Branches less than 6 inches in diameter and between 4 feet and 8 feet in length may be stacked and set out at the curb for pickup by the chipper truck. Branches should be stacked with the cut ends facing the same direction. The following materials, however, are NOT ALLOWED for curbside brush pickup: material produced by commercial landscapers and tree trimmers and materials produced from tree removal projects (including stumps, logs, and roots removed by the resident or a private firm.)
SMALL BRANCHES/BRUSH: Branches and woody materials that are less than 2 inches in diameter can also be cut into 4 foot lengths, bundled with twine and placed at the curb to be collected as trash. (40 lb. weight limit per bundle).
FREE WOOD CHIPS AND SOCRRA COMPOST: Wood chips and compost are available for pick up at the Oak Park Ice Arena parking lot, located at 14200 Oak Park Boulevard, Oak Park, Mich.
Free SOCRRA Recycling Drop-Off Center
Founded in the 1950's, SOCRRA is a municipal corporation that consists of twelve member municipalities, including Oak Park. SOCRRA provides both curbside and drop-off residential recycling programs to each of its member communities. On average, SOCRRA recycles 13,000 tons of paper, plastic, metal, and glass recyclables at the curb each year. For every ton of recyclables collected by SOCRRA, member communities earn a "cash" rebate. By participating in our community's recycling program, residents help to offset costs to operate recycling and trash collection services. Recycling avoids disposal costs, and provides revenue sharing on the sale of recyclables once they are sorted and processed by SOCRRA.
For more information on SOCRRA, visit their website at http://www.socrra.org/.
Contact Information:
SOCRRA
995 Coolidge (between 14 Mile and Maple, across from Meijer)
Troy, MI 48084
(248) 288-5150
Website: http://www.socrra.org/
MATERIAL ACCEPTED AT DROP-OFF CENTER
Click here to schedule an appointment.
- Large batteries from cars, trucks, boats, etc.
- Hardcover books
- Used clothing, shoes, blankets in good condition.
- Styrofoam
PAPER SHREDDER AT DROP-OFF CENTER
Click here to schedule an appointment.
Bring personal documents and shred them yourself for free. This service is not available for businesses, only residents. Please limit shredding to two boxes. Staples are okay but remove paper clips and plastic.
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL ACCEPTED AT DROP-OFF CENTER
Click here to schedule an appointment.
Hazardous material allowed for drop-off:
• Oil-based paints or chemical solvents
• Garden chemicals
• Oils
• Automotive products
• Household cleaners
• Insulin syringes
• Florescent light bulbs
• Other household hazardous materials