Detroit switching to private trash collection on May 5

DETROIT – Detroit residents will see a change in how trash is collected as the city transfers residential collection to contractors beginning May 5.

Under the contracts with Advanced Disposal and Rizzo Environmental Services, bulk items will be collected every other week rather than every three months, said Public Works Director Ron Brundidge. Yard waste will be collected every other week, and all households will be able to recycle at the curb if they opt-in to the program being offered by both companies.

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Residents will continue to use their Courville containers for their weekly trash collection. Commercial accounts, as well as apartment units greater than four, will not be impacted by this contract.

Rizzo Environmental Services will begin collecting refuse for residents in neighborhoods east of Woodward and in southwest Detroit. The weekly trash collection days for residents in these areas remain the same. All other collections will occur on the same day of the week as trash collection. Each household in the Rizzo service area should have received a brochure in the mail with specific details. 

On June 2, Advanced Disposal will begin collecting trash for residents on the west and northwest sides. For 13 percent of the households in this area, there may be changes in the date of their weekly trash collection. These households will receive a brochure in the mail in the coming weeks with specific information.

Under the contracted service:

  • Bulk items will be collected every other week
  • Yard waste will be collected every other week
  • Residents can sign up for curbside recycling program by contacting their contractor and paying a one-time fee of $25 for the container
  • The companies will repair and replace trash and refuse containers
  • Residents will call the specific contractor to request services and report any problems

Presently, DPW has 190 active employees providing solid waste collection services, and 125 employees were offered employment by the two contractors. The city will retain more than 40 employees to focus on cleaning up illegal dumping sites. The city plans to sell its existing refuse trucks through an online auction once both contracts are implemented. 

Both contracts are for five years with five, one-year renewal options and are for solid waste collection only. Disposal of waste will continue to be provided through the Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority.

Rizzo will service 90,000 households, and its contract will not exceed $49.1 million.

The contract with Advanced will not exceed $73.5 million, and the company will serve 125,000 households. The annual cost for both contracts is $24.5 million.

Contractors will be paid out of funds generated from the City's Solid Waste Fund. Residents now pay $240 per year for all solid waste services.

For more information, please visit the City's Web site at www.detroitmi.gov/dpw.