Refuse includes animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking, and consumption of food, as well as other organic matter subject to rapid decomposition. It also includes cardboard, paper, cartons, and boxes. Large items such as tree stumps, discarded furniture, appliances, toys, and clothing are considered refuse but are too large for regular pick-up. Concrete, bricks, pavers, stones, and logs are the homeowner's responsibility

Refuse

It is the duty of every owner of every lot or property to keep their lot or property free of rubbish and debris. Grosse Pointe Park City Code Section 12-1 states suitable garbage and rubbish receptacles shall be provided and used by the owner, tenant, lessee or occupant of the premises. Landlords shall be responsible for removal of all rubbish from evictions/move outs. If you need a special pick-up, please call 313-822-5100. All special pick-ups will be charged to landlords/owners.

Acceptable Recycling Materials

• Cardboard and paper bags
• Magazines, catalogs, junk mail, phone books, office paper
• Steel and tin cans
• Glass (clear and colored)
• Aluminum cans
• Plastic jugs and bottles (#1-7)
• Kitchen cookware

Unacceptable Recycling Materials

• Syringes, hypodermic needles, or medical waste
• Styrofoam, motor oil containers, large appliances
• Yard waste (sticks, grass, wood)
• Automotive parts (brake rotors, engine blocks, etc.)

Household Batteries

Priority does not accept batteries for recycling. Wayne County hosts multiple household hazardous waste days throughout the year and accepts batteries. The Grosse Pointe communities host a hazardous waste day and will accept batteries. Please check the website or call the Public Service department for dates.

Priority Waste picks up on a scheduled pickup day, not time. Residents may experience having the recycling and trash picked up later in the day rather than being used to a timeframe during the pickup day. Priority Waste will stay out until the route is finished. Priority Waste has two garbage trucks and one recycling truck that services our community. 

If your trash or recycling has not been picked up by the end of your scheduled pick-up day, please contact Priority Waste at 855-927-8365 or report the missed pickup on their live chat at Contact - Priority Waste

Yard waste will be collected from March 30th through December 11th, by Priority Waste, the City's contractor. Yard waste is typically the last collection of the day. 

Priority will not collect more than 15 bags of yard waste and each bag should not exceed 30lbs.

Yard Waste is defined as garden, lawn, or tree trimmings, leaves, and dead garden plants from the normal household. It shall not include rubbish from the work of a landscape gardener or private companies. Other items, such as mulch and dirt in the bags

All yard waste must be in paper bags or in 32-gallon containers (no lids) with handles that have a red and white yard waste sticker on them. If you choose to use containers, you may pick up stickers for your containers in the Public Service Department. Containers can be no larger than 32 gallons. Toters are not acceptable for yard waste containers. Please do not place sticks, brush, or weeds, on the top of your trash container. Improperly contained yard waste will be left at the curb. Positively NO plastic bags will be accepted. Branches and twigs must be bagged or tied in bundles no larger than 2 feet by 4 feet long or 50 pounds per bag, can, or bundle, or 100 pounds in a yard waste cart. No tree trunks or stumps will be accepted.

View and download the Weekly Rubbish Collection Schedule (PDF) to view your service day.

If Priority Waste damages a container or one goes missing during pickup, please contact Priority Waste or fill out their online form reporting the damage. To replace through the City for general wear and tear, the City charges $25 for a new lid, $75 for a new 65-gallon recycling container, $100 for a 95-gallon trash container, and $15 for a small recycling bin. Please call 313-822-6200 for assistance in purchasing new containers or ordering repairs through the City.

If a trash or recycling bin has been damaged by Priority Waste please call them at 855-927-8365 or send a message to their online support at https://www.prioritywaste.com/contact/

If a lid is due to general wear and tear or old age the City will replace at $25 for a lid. Please call the Department of Public Works at 313 822 5100

Waste and recycling containers shall not be placed out at the curb line for collection prior to 4 pm in the evening preceding the day of collection. Please have receptacles out by 7 am the day of collection. After receptacles are emptied they shall be removed from the street on the same day that collections are made.

All rubbish, recycling, and yard waste containers need to be returned to private and off the alley line within one day of pickup. Violators will be ticketed.

Priority Waste will not pickup construction material.

It shall be the duty of the owner, contractor, or other person responsible for construction work to maintain the site clean and free of excess debris during construction and to remove from the premises within a reasonable time after the completion of such construction work all surplus construction material and all refuse building material. Owners and contractors are responsible for the removal of construction debris, which should not be placed at the curb for regular pickup.

Branches & Brush

Chipping will end the week of November 17, 2025 - No Exceptions

Brush is described as tree and shrubbery trimmings not exceeding one inch in diameter.  Brush shall be cut into 4-foot lengths and tied in bundles no larger than 18 inches in diameter and no heavier than 50 pounds.  Do not mix brush with yard waste. Only grass clippings can be mixed with leaves at the curb. The City offers monthly chipper services the first full week of each month. Pickup is the same as your regular trash day. If the first full week includes a holiday, pickup will be moved to the following week to avoid any delays.

Chipper brush is defined as tree and shrubbery trimmings, cuttings, branches, and limbs exceeding one inch, but not more than 4 inches in diameter, with all stumps and roots removed for disposal by the chipper machine. Length shall be 7 to 10 feet long with stub ends to the curb for chipping. The chipper will handle branches the size of a fist. Small sticks should be broken down and put into compost containers or compost bags. The chipper will not pick up any small piles or pieces that are left out at the curb.

Hazardous wastes need to be disposed of properly. A hazardous product can be toxic, flammable, corrosive, or react with other substances to create harmful fumes or explosions. These products are labeled with DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION, CORROSIVE, or FLAMMABLE on the container. If you need to dispose of hazardous waste call Wayne County's Resource Recovery Coordinator at 734-326-3936. The City also participates in an area wide hazardous waste disposal day with the other Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods. This takes place in the spring of each year. In addition, Wayne County hosts multiple Household Hazardous Waste Days throughout the year.

Residents can place up to three (3) bulk items out for collection each week through its contractor Priority Waste. Bulky waste items can be fixtures, furniture, storm doors, door walls, toilets, sinks, and carpets and pads (rolled up and bundled, 4ft in length and weighing less than 50 pounds each). One bundle equals one bulky item. Mattresses must be covered in plastic. 

Bulk pickup such as moveouts, construction debris and oversized items must order a dumpster or dumpster in a bag from your local hardware store. The City does not have the ability or equipment for bulk pickup. A good rule of thumb is Priority will pick up 100 pounds of material or less broken up in pieces.

Priority recognizes the following holidays, please click the link for more information. Priority Holiday Collection Schedule