Please read the following guidelines for Solid Waste, Recycling and Yard Waste collection for your City. Should you have any questions or concerns about these or any of our other services please contact our Office at 517.265.1335

Click here to view the 2010 City of Tecumseh Calendar which includes the recycling and trash pickup schedules.

What & How to Recycle

Household recycling pickup is provided twice a month on your regular trash pickup day.

All of your recyclables end up at an Approved Recycling Facility, where they are sorted and shipped out for reuse.

Put all the recyclable paper together in Recycle Bin / or on top of Recycle bin. (can be put in a paper bag or tied)

Put all recyclable items together in Recycle Bin.

Please put your bins out before 7:00 a.m.

Acceptable Paper

Newspaper including color comics and inserts

• Corrugated cardboard
• “Junk mail” advertising flyers
• Magazines and catalogs
• Brown grocery bags
• “Boxboard” lightweight cardboard used in cereal, cracker and cookie boxes (please flatten)
• Office paper and envelopes (white and colors)
• Telephone books

Acceptable other Recyclables:

Plastic Bottles and Containers

• Only containers marked 1 (PETE) or 2 (HDPE) on bottom, such as milk and water jugs, laundry and hair care bottles, syrup bottles, wide-mouth tubs.
• Clear or colors.
• Rinse clean with hot water. Remove lids. Labels are OK. NO motor oil or chemical bottles. NO shopping bags.

Glass Bottles and Jars (Food & Beverages)

• All colors. Remove caps. Labels are OK.
• Rinse clean with hot water.
  
  NO window glass, mirrors, light bulbs, drinking glasses or broken glass.

Metal Cans from Food and Beverages

• Tin, steel and aluminum
• Rinse clean with hot water, labels are OK.
• When possbile, remove lids and put them inside cans (for safety.)
  
  NO aerosol cans or cans which held hazardous products.

Garbage and Rubbish Service

Great Lakes Waste is very pleased to provide service to the residents of Tecumseh.

Household trash and garbage are picked up on Wednesdays. Put trash in sturdy plastic bags, securely tied, and put it at the curbside before 7:00 a.m.

BULKY ITEMS: Collected each week along with your regular trash. Includes such items as mattresses, box springs, rolls of carpet (rolled, tied and cut in 4-5 ft. lengths), water softeners, furniture and large appliances.

REFRIGERANTS: Items containing freon (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers) must have a tag attached verifying that the freon has been removed by a certified technician.

EXCLUDED: We cannot take construction or demolition material, large machinery, fencing, motor vehicles, auto parts, or hazardous waste.

Yard Waste

State law prohibits yard waste going into landfills. City of Tecumseh residents can put out yard waste for pickup on their regular pickup day from March through the second week in December for composting at a state-authorized site. This includes leaves, grass clippings, garden waste and shrub trimmings. Put out yard waste before 7:00 a.m. It must be in one of the following containers:

• Kraft paper biodegradable yard waste bags (available at many local merchants),
  securely closed.
• Your own sturdy can with a lid to keep out rain. Containers must meet ANSI and GLWS standards. No larger than 30 gallons and no heavier than 50 lbs. On the outside clearly mark “YARD WASTE.” Put yard waste loose inside.
• A yard waste cart rented from Great Lakes Waste. These are large, easy-to-use carts on wheels. For rental information, call Great Lakes Waste at 265-1335 or 1-800-589-9193. If you use a cart or can, remove it from curbside by 8 a.m. the morning after pickup.

Brush and tree trimmings

Branches no more than 4 inches in diameter. They must be cut no more than 4 feet long, and tied in bundles no more than 1 foot in diameter. Leave bundles at curbside for pickup.

Home Composting

Composting is the natural process by which organic matter decays into a dark, rich and crumbly substance called humus, which makes an excellent soil conditioner. Tecumseh residents interested in reducing the amount of yard waste for pickup might want to consider backyard composting.