In accordance with Lakewood Codified Ordinance §1777.02, the Director of Public Safety hereby adopts rules and regulations for the placement of refuse, trash, bulk waste, yard waste and recyclables in a manner that will promote collection efficiency and the protection of the quality of neighboring properties. Any violation of any rule or regulation may result in the property owner being charged for the actual cost of such work or the administrative cost incurred for the enforcement of such rule or regulation in accordance with Lakewood Codified Ordinance §1777.01. Property owners are responsible for making sure their tenants are aware of and comply with rules and regulations.
The Division of Refuse and Recycling collects trash and recycling once per week from residents’ curbsides. Trash and recycling should be placed in the city-provided wheeled refuse and recycling carts. Any refuse or recycling that does not fit in the bins should be bundled and stacked neatly. See the Mandatory Recycling (Page 2) and Bulk Trash (Page 4) sections for more information. Municipal curbside service collection is limited to items from within city limits.
For properties with five or more household units, municipal collection is limited to bulk items.
Refuse collection drivers will come to your home to collect the contents of your bins on the designated pickup day. Automated drivers will not exit trucks to move carts away from obstructions or from behind parked cars.
You are required to place the carts out by the street in one of the following configurations:
Place refuse/recycling carts in the street (car parking side only) with wheels up against the curb no further than six inches away from the driveway apron. Multiple carts must be placed at least one (1) foot apart, and at least three (3) feet away from any parked car. In essence, households can “seize” the space to allow for multiple carts to be placed in the street for efficient automated collection.
Upon automated collection of refuse/recycling carts from the street, drivers will attempt to place the empty containers out of the street and on to the tree lawn with the mechanical arm, provided that no obstructions exist and/or no other collection materials (such as yard waste or bulk items) are located behind where the original refuse/recycling cart placement was set out.
Place refuse and recycling carts in your driveway apron, at least one foot apart from each other to allow the robotic arm to grab and lift the cart, and at least one foot away from the road.
Place carts on one side of your tree lawn, at least one foot apart from each other, and at least one foot away from the road. Please ensure that carts are placed away from any parked car areas that may obstruct access by the collection driver.
Set out carts and other materials for curbside collection between 6:00 p.m. the evening before the collection day and 6:00 a.m. on the collection day. Late set-outs are at the resident’s risk.
If the City collects improperly placed refuse or debris, the property owner may be charged a minimum $100.00 collection fee.
There are three ways to report a missed garbage or recycling pick-up: use the Report A Problem Form (https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/report-a-problem-concern), email refuse@lakewoodoh.gov, or call the Division of Refuse at (216) 252-4322 within 24 hours of regular pick-up day to request collection the next day. Reporting a missed pick-up later than 24 hours after your regular pick-up day results in a pick-up for the following week. The resident also has the option to bring the refuse to the Drop-Off Facility during its operating hours.
Empty Refuse and Recycling Carts must be removed from the curb by the end of each collection day. They must be stored in a location behind the front foundation wall of the structure and not under a neighboring property’s windows. If the City notices a cart left out at the curb after the normal collection day or stored in a location that violates this rule, the property owner may be charged a minimum $50.00 fee for the violation.
All residential and commercial buildings that receive City of Lakewood municipal solid waste collection services are required to separate recyclable materials (including yard waste) from their solid waste destined for disposal. If recyclable materials are discovered inside a refuse cart, the property owner of record will be charged a minimum of $50.00 for non-compliance with the Lakewood Codified Ordinance §1777.03.
Recyclables MUST be placed loose in the blue City-provided recycle cart. Do not bag recyclable items within the recycling cart, and do not set out additional loose recyclable materials next to the recycle carts. If you have mixed recyclables that do not fit in the blue recycle cart, you may place them in a brown paper bag or cardboard box (weather permitting). You may also bring them to the Drop-Off and Recycling Facility.
For a complete and regularly updated list of what can and cannot be recycled, residents should visit cuyahogarecycles.org. The best way to avoid recycling contamination in your curbside recycling is to only recycle these four core categories:
Metal Cans: Emptied and rinsed
Paper Cartons, Plastic Bottles, and Jugs: Emptied and rinsed; cap replaced
Glass Bottles and Jars: Emptied and rinsed
Paper and Cardboard Boxes: Flatten cardboard items to save space. Cut large boxes into smaller pieces to fit into the blue recycling cart.
The following items are not recyclable through curbside pickup and should be placed in the black refuse bin:
In addition to the list above, the City does not provide curbside collection for fluorescent bulbs, hazardous materials, tires, motor oil, liquids, or paint. However, these items can be brought to the Drop-Off Facility and Recycling Center located at 12920 Berea Rd., Lakewood, OH 44111.
Several area businesses offer free recycling of flurorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lights. Visit Cuyahoga Recycles’ website (cuyahogarecycles.org/recyclables/fluorescent_bulbs) for more information on where to recycle these items.
Latex and any other water-based paints are not hazardous materials and are not accepted in the city’s household hazardous waste collection. Latex paint should be dried and disposed of in the regular garbage. Step-by-step instructions on how to dry latex paint can be found at Cuyahoga Recycles’ website (cuyahogarecycles.org/recyclables/latex_paint).
Contractors are responsible for their own debris disposal regardless of the contractor’s residency or the location of the work site.
During weeks with holidays, your day of collection may change. Lakewood does not collect refuse/recycling on the following days:
During holiday weeks, Refuse and Recycling Division employees collect five (5) days’ worth of garbage and recyclables within the four (4) remaining workdays. We do not collect on Saturday or Sunday. If a holiday is at the beginning of the week, collections may be later than normal; if the holiday is at the end of the week, collections may be earlier. Contact the Division of Refuse and Recycling at (216) 252-4322 or view the city web page (https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/refuse-recycling) for scheduling information.
Large trash items that will not fit in your refuse cart will be picked up on your regularly scheduled collection day.
Bulk items include but are not limited to:
*Upholstered furniture (including leather), mattresses, box springs, and carpet rolls must be wrapped and sealed in plastic. King-size mattress bags can be purchased at the Drop-Off Facility and Recycling Center for $3 each. Cash, credit, and debit are accepted.
When disposing of air conditioners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, humidifiers, furnaces, gutters, metal and cast iron tubs and sinks, metal cabinets, and pipe and plumbing fixtures, call the Division of Refuse and Recycling at (216) 252-4322 or email refuse@lakewoodoh.gov for collection instructions or bring to the Drop-Off Facility/Recycling Center.
Residents may put construction debris out for the normal collection day, as long as it meets the following requirements listed below. A 50 lb. weight limit applies to all bundles and bags.
Lumber must be cut into 4′ lengths, tied securely in to manageable bundles, and nails bent or hammered down for safety.
Plywood must be cut into 4′ x 4′ sections and stacked neatly.
Loose debris must be contained in strong plastic bags (tied closed) or garbage cans (structurally sound with sturdy handles and detached lids, no larger than 32 gallons).
Plasterboard must be broken down into pieces and contained as loose debris.
Residents can also bring bulk trash items to the Drop-Off Facility and Recycling Center located at 12920 Berea Rd., Lakewood, OH 44111, as long as it meets the requirements listed above. For hours and more information on the center, see the Drop-Off Facility and Recycling Center section.
The City of Lakewood will collect organic yard waste from residents and repurpose it for mulch, compost, or other uses.
Professional/commercial landscapers are responsible for their own disposal regardless of the landscaper’s residency or the location of the work site and are not permitted at the Drop-Off Facility.
Please dispose of yard waste according to the following guidelines:
Soft materials such as leaves, weeds, and grass clippings should be contained in paper yard waste bags or small cardboard boxes for pickup. Loose yard materials should not be left curbside except for leaves during the Fall Leaf Collection period (see below for details).
Hard materials such as branches, twigs, trimmings, and shrubs should not go in paper yard waste bags or garbage cans. Instead, cut branches, trimmings, and shrubs to 4′ lengths and tie securely into bundles with twine or rope. Do not use wire to bundle these items. Limit your bundles to 50 pounds or fewer. Cut thick branches, logs, stumps, and roots into 2′ x 6″ pieces and stack neatly near the curb.
Do not include the following items in yard waste bags or bundles. They are trash, and should be disposed in either your black refuse cart or at the Drop-Off Facility/Recycling Center:
Rake leaves to the curb or bag and place them on the tree lawn during the fall leaf collection period which begins November 1 and ends December 15.
Christmas trees may be placed on the tree lawn for collection by the Streets and Forestry Department beginning the first working day following December 25. You do not need to cut or dismantle Christmas trees. Please remove all ornaments, tinsel, and other decorations.
The Lakewood Drop-Off Facility and Recycling Center is the main hub for residential disposal and recycling. Residents using their personal cars, passenger vans, SUVs, or pick-up trucks to transport waste materials may do so free of charge. Personal identification showing Lakewood residence or ownership of property, vehicle registration, and building permits (if applicable) are required before entering the facility. All users of the facility are responsible for the handling of the debris they bring to discard.
The Drop-Off Facility and Recycling Center is located at 12920 Berea Road, Lakewood, OH 44111.
The Drop-Off Facility is open during the following times:
Monday–Friday: 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Certain substances must be enclosed in the original container before being brought to the Drop-Off Facility. Examples include harsh cleaning chemicals, acids, or materials that are caustic, flammable, or poisonous. Please contact the Division of Refuse and Recycling if you have a question about specific materials.
Construction debris must be contained using the guidelines found in the Bulk Trash section. Contractors are responsible for the disposal of their own debris disposal regardless of the contractor’s residency or the location of the work site and are not permitted at the Drop-Off Facility.
Off-rim tires are accepted for a fee of $3.00 per tire from Lakewood residents ONLY. Tire disposal is performed in cooperation with the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District.
The facility offers year-round confidential document shredding to Lakewood residents and businesses. Remove all non-confidential materials such as folders, envelopes, and extra papers. Staples can be left in your documents, but remove all paper clips, binder clips, or other fasteners.
The Division of Refuse and Recycling reserves the right to refuse entry to individuals that are suspected of bringing materials generated outside of Lakewood, repeatedly drop off large quantities of materials, repeatedly use a borrowed or rented vehicle to transport waste, or are otherwise in violation of these rules.
