Home Departments Public Works Waste Removal

Waste Removal

The City produces a downloadable brochure to help explain the City's waste removal services. Most of the information on 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.

INTRODUCING: SOCRRA'S FEET ON THE STREET QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Learn more about this new initiative meant to review and educate you on the proper materials to put into your recycling bin each week.

Feet On The Street: Quality Improvement Program Information

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 to 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.

Section One includes: North of Ten Mile, between Greenfield and Coolidge Hwy.

Section Two includes: North of Nine Mile and South of Ten Mile, between Greenfield and Coolidge Hwy.

Section Three includes: North of Nine Mile and South of Ten Mile, between Coolidge Hwy. and Rosewood Ave.

Section Four includes: North of Eight Mile and South of Nine Mile, between Greenfield and Coolidge Hwy

Section Five includes: South of Nine Mile, between Coolidge Hwy. and the City of Ferndale; and North of Nine Mile, between Rosewood and the City of Ferndale.

Weekly refuse collection begins at 7 am. Refuse should not be set out before noon on the day prior to collection day. Containers should be placed at the curb. They cannot be placed in the street or on the sidewalk. Containers cannot be left out later than noon the day after collection day.

JulyUtilityBill_GFL5DAY_FINAL (1) - Copy

HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS
When one of the following holidays fall on a weekday, collection for the holiday and remaining days of the week will be delayed one day:

• New Year's Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas

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.

BULK ITEMS
Carpeting and padding must be rolled and either tied or taped into bundles less than 4 feet long weighing 60 pounds
or less.

LARGE ITEMS
Household items such as furniture, appliances, mattresses, etc. may be picked up separately. Up to three large household items may be set out on your regular refuse collection day. Separate from regular refuse. 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: It the waste hauler suspects that a mattress may have bed bugs it will NOT be picked up. Mattress bags can be used to alleviate any potential issues.

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 https://www.socrra.org/waste-wizard.

SOCRRA RECYCLING FLYER

Click here for the SOCRRA recycling flyer.

WHAT YOU CAN RECYCLE IN YOUR CART:

Paper
Junk Mail
Cardboard
Magazines
Milk Cartons
Juice Boxes
Empty Cans (e.g., soup cans)
Aerosol Cans
Glass Bottles (all colors)
Glass Jars (all colors)
Plastic Bottles
Plastic Jugs
Plastic Cartons

WHAT YOU CANNOT RECYCLE IN YOUR CART:

Styrofoam
Scrap Metal
Paint
Chemicals
Plastic Bags
Electronics
Batteries
Hazardous Waste

CORRUGATED CARDBOARD
All cardboard must be placed in the recycling cart/bin. Please flatten completely, reducing pieces to no larger than 3’ x 3’ in size. Please remove and dispose of all packing material. Cardboard jammed into the cart may get stuck. So please follow the guidelines to ensure everything is fully emptied.

LATEX PAINT INSTRUCTIONS
Please DO NOT bring water-based latex paint to the Household Hazardous Waste drop-off, as it is NOT hazardous. Instead, follow these steps for curbside disposal:

Keep dry latex paint in a well-ventilated area, away from children and pets.
If necessary, add absorbent material such as kitty litter or sawdust.
When dry, put the paint can into the regular refuse.
If the paint can is dry and empty, remove the lid and place the empty can in the recycling bin.

RECYCLING BINS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

Recycling bins may be purchased from the Water Department.
64 Gallon Recycling Container - $25.00
95 Gallon Recycling Container - $65.00
95 Gallon Recycling Container (with turn in of 64 Gallon Recycling Container) - $40.00
Small Recycle Bin - $12.00

SOCRRA DROP-OFF FACILITY:
SOCRRA's Drop-off Program is available by appointment only to Oak Park residents. Residency will be verified by attendant.
Click here to schedule an appointment.

Location: 995 Coolidge, Troy, MI 48084 (between 14 Mile and Maple, across from Meijer) Map
Phone Number: 248-288-5150

ELECTRONIC RECYCLING:
In addition to the SOCCRA drop-off Facility, electronics can be taken to the following locations:

1. eCycle Opportunities (JVS facility) Phone: 248-233-4477

Electronics Recycling ONLY (computers, TVs, cell phones, VCRs, video equipment, etc. – visit www.socrra.org for a complete list)
Location: 29699 Southfield Road, Southfield – part of the JVS building
Hours: M – F 8AM – 4PM
*Must be resident of Oak Park
*Go to warehouse door on south side of building (next to Arby’s), place electronics in bin or on ground if they are large. Ring doorbell for assistance with heavy items

2. ERG Environmental Services Phone: 734-437-9650

Electronics Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste Disposal (computers, TVs, cell phones, VCRs, video equipment, paint, household cleaners, medications, sharps, auto fluids, pesticides, etc. – visit www.socrra.org for a complete list)
Location: 13040 Merriman Road, Livonia (Use visitor entrance, enter off Industrial Road)
Hours: M, W, F 9AM – 5PM and T, TH 9AM – 7PM
*Must have ID showing residency from Oak Park
*Ring doorbell and RETURN TO YOUR CAR. Attendant with PPE will unload your items

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 Transfer Station at 995 Coolidge (across from Meijer).
Hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.

REQUIREMENTS
• Regular trash containers that are no larger than 32-gallon size
• Recycling bin with newspapers (inside, on, or beside bin)
• Yard waste can with decal or a 30-gallon size brown Kraft paper bag

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 brown paper kraft 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 mid-December. Holiday trees will be collected through the second week of January. 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 1 ½ inches in diameter can also be cut into 4 to 4 ½ 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.

SOCRRA YARD WASTE FLYER

Click here for the SOCRRA Yard Waste Flyer.

Waste Reduction Tips

AT THE STORE:
• Buy in bulk
• Look for products with minimal packaging
• Buy containers made from recycled materials
• Buy containers which can be recycled when empty
• Bring your own shopping bag
• Avoid disposables

AT HOME:
• Reuse containers for storage
• Reuse wrapping paper, gift bags and plastic bags
• Repair old items before purchasing new
• Donate clothes, furniture, appliances and toys to local charities
• Support rummage sales and garage sales
• Borrow or rent items you use infrequently

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 recycle 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/.

SOCRRA map

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.
• DVD's CD's video cassettes
• Hardcover books
• Used clothing, shoes, blankets and toys
• Plastic bags
• Styrofoam

PAPER SHREDDER AT DROP-OFF CENTER

Click here to schedule an appointment.

Bring personal documents and shred them yourself for free. Shredder handles 40 sheets at a time. Please remove paper clips.

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 hazardous materials from homes

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT RECYCLING

Click here to schedule an appointment.

Electronic items allowed for drop off:
• Computers
• Television sets
• Telephones
• Copy and fax machines
• Stereo, radios, VCRs, etc.