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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RUBBISH PICK-UP & OTHER SERVICES

Q. How do I dispose of household furniture?  Does this include mattresses and box springs?

A.. Place furniture at the curb on your normal pick up day. The Contractor will pick up the following under their contract; tables, chairs, couches, televisions, entertainment centers, recliners and the like. If you are unsure, please call our office. Yes, they will also pick up mattresses and box springs. The contractor is limited to 10 items of any combination for trash and furniture.

Q. What about appliances?

A. Place them at your curb on your normal pick-up day. Washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers and hot water tanks are picked up at no charge. Any appliance containing Freon (freezers, refrigerators and air conditioners) will be assessed a charge of $15.00. The doors MUST be removed in order for the appliance to be picked up. Call our office and our Foreman will come to the house and pick-up the check, leave a receipt and place a numbered tag on the appliance. It will be picked up that afternoon. No charge will be assessed if you have a Freon removal certificate from a qualified HVAC company.

Q. How do I dispose of tree trimmings and branches?

A. Tree branches should be cut in four foot lengths and bundled no larger than 18” diameter in order for them to be picked up at no charge with your compost (April through November). No one branch can be larger than 3” in diameter. If you have a large amount you can call for a brush pick up estimate. The minimum charge is $10.00. The Foreman will give an estimate and once payment is made the brush will be picked up, usually within 24 hours. All small sticks and twigs can be placed in a compost container or tied in a bundle.

Q. What time do the garbage men start? How about quitting time?

A. The contractor starts at 6 am . Trash should be placed at the curb prior to this time. We have allowed them to work late into the evening when the rubbish volumes are above normal.

Q. What type of rubbish container is acceptable?

A. No container larger than 32 gallons (metal or plastic) will be accepted. Plastic bags are acceptable. No appliance boxes or cardboard containers will be accepted as rubbish receptacles. Cardboard boxes should be broken down. Each container should not weigh in excess of 50 pounds. Do not use kitchen or bathroom trash cans.

Q. Can I rake or blow my leaves and grass clippings into the street?

A. No. This is a violation of the City Ordinance. Leaves/grass should be placed in paper compost bags or placed in plastic/metal garbage containers with a City compost sticker attached. These stickers are available at all City offices. Leaves or grass clippings in plastic bags will not be picked up. Plastic is not accepted at the compost site. We could lose use of the facility. The compost program runs from the first week of April through November. If you have compost in the winter (December through March) you may bring to the DPS yard. Please call first before doing so.

Q. How do I dispose of sod, dirt, concrete or building materials?

A. You can call our office to have a Foreman come out and give you an estimate for pick up. The minimum charge is $25.00. A full load (7 yard dump) will be $90.00, and $45.00 for a half load. Once payment is made, the debris should be picked up on your trash day or as soon as possible. We do not recommend that you put this in the street, but if you do, it should be properly barricaded with lights and reflective material. Wood can be bundled in 4’ lengths to avoid possible minimum charge

Q. How about roofing materials?

A. Same as above except the price is different. $25.00 minimum charge with a $120.00 full load and $60.00 half load charge. Again, we do not recommend putting it in the street.  

Q. What do I do with old tires?

A. Most tire stores will accept old tires at a minimum charge. Usually about $2.00 or $3.00 each. Tires are not accepted at the landfill.

Q. How do I dispose of old paint or paint cans?

A. You can put your old paint cans at the curb for pick up after the paint has dried out. Make sure the lids are removed. To accelerate the drying process you can put oil dry, kitty litter or sand in the can to help it solidify. This is done so when the garbage truck compacts its load the paint doesn’t spray all over.

Q. Can I put my rubbish in the street?

A. We would prefer that you didn’t since it hampers our sweeping operations and our snow removal process.

Q. I change my own oil, what can I do with the used oil? What about auto batteries?

A. The City has a drop off site located behind the DPS building for homeowners to bring in used oil. The hours are 8am to 3pm , M-F. Please dump the oil in the container and dispose of the jugs in the cans provided. You may also bring your old automotive batteries to this same drop off site.

Q. Do I have to recycle? If so, what recyclables are accepted?

A. Yes. Recycling is mandatory under the Ordinance in Allen Park . It is done on a bi-weekly schedule. Refer to our recycling calendar for your week or call our office. All homes received recycle bins, if you need a replacement bin, they are available at the DPS building for $10.00. If you have a broken or damaged one, bring it in and we will replace it at no charge. Acceptable items are as follows; newspapers (tied or placed in brown paper grocery bags), magazines and catalogs (tied or bagged), glossy prints and junk mail (tied or bagged), cardboard (tied 2’ x 3’ x 6”), office and computer paper (tied or bagged), household batteries (plastic baggies), glass jars and bottles (clear, brown and green – rinsed, no lids), plastic jugs and containers with the #1 or #2 triangle, empty aerosol cans and aluminum products (tied or taped in bundles).

Q. Does Allen Park have a Household Hazardous Waste Day? If so, when, where and what is accepted?

A. Yes. In 2004 it is June 12. It is normally the second Saturday of June. It is held at the rear portion of City Hall from 8am – 3pm. Acceptable items are as follows; kitchen and bathroom cleaning chemicals, automotive products, lawn and garden chemicals, oil based paints, thinners, stains and glues, all other household and garage chemicals. Unacceptable items are ammunitions and explosives, asbestos, industrial waste and medical waste. If you are unsure, please call our office or you can refer to our recycling calendar for further information. We also participate in a multiple community HHW day in October with the Riverview landfill, this is usually limited to thirty residents who missed our City HHW day. Call for availability and date for this HHW day.

Q. How do I find out about changes in rubbish rules and regulations?

A. You can call our office with a specific question, check our recycling calendar, check our quarterly newsletter.

Anything that is not mentioned in the above questions that you may have concerns about, please call our office at 313-928-0550 or e-mail at rlang@cityofallenpark.org. We will be more than happy to try and assist you in any way. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm .

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