Solid Waste

Solid Waste services operate Monday through Thursday. Service is  delayed by one day when City holidays fall Monday through Thursday.

Pickup for trash collection, yard waste and extra pickups occur on the same day. Look up your trash day by address.

Residents can sign up for weekly trash collection when setting up new water service by calling 311. Monthly trash service is $15.78 per month and is billed on the Utilities bill. (Senior rate is $9.47 per month). Residents can choose between a 48-or 96-gallon bin.

Residents can request an additional bin for $8.97 per month at any time by calling 311 or making an online request.

Bins must be out by by 6 am on day of pickup and placed within two feet of the curb with the lid closed and opening facing the street. Bins should NOT be blocked by a vehicle and should be at least three feet from other bins and objects.

All trash must be bagged and placed in city issued bins with the lid closed and the opening facing the street. Bags on top of the bin or on the ground or in personal containers will NOT be collected.

Only regular household trash may be put in bins, No electronic waste, yard waste, loose debris, paints, chemicals or other hazardous materials are allowed. Hazardous waste should be dropped off at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 828 Kerr Street.

Yard waste season runs April 1 to November 30. Weekly pickup of yard waste, such as grass clippings, brush, twigs and leaves, is available to only city residents for a fee of $5.50 per month during the season. A 48-or 96-gallon bin is provided with collection taking place on the same day as trash pickup.

Residents can sign up for the program online or by calling 311. Note: This program is only available to residents within city limits. Residents in city limits have a three or four digit address.

Yard waste collected from residents is converted to mulch and compost which is available free of charge if self-loading at Organic Resources, located at 4340 Trade Drive.

Residents are asked to follow these guidelines for yard waste bins:

• Bins must be out by 6 am on day of pickup and placed within two feet of the curb with the lid closed and opening facing the street. Bins should NOT be blocked by a vehicle and should be at least three feet from other bins and objects.
• Items ACCEPTED in yard waste bins are:
  • Grass clippings
  • Leaves
  • Twigs
  • Weeds
• Must be completely void of the items below or it will not be picked up:
  • Animal waste
  • Dirt and rocks
  • Food waste
  • Household trash
  • Lumber
  • Oils, liquids and other hazardous waste
  • Plastic bags
  • Recycling
• All yard waste must be placed in city issued bins with the lid closed and the opening facing the street. Bags on top of the bin or on the ground or in personal containers will NOT be collected.

Homeowners within city limits can request one free extra pickup for an appliance or bulky item per month. A pickup date will be provided after you submit your request. The extra pickup takes place on the same day as trash pickup.

An appliance includes refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer, etc. Bulky item pickup covers items that are too big to fit in your regular trash bin, such as furniture.

Additional extra pickups for the month will be charged $20 per cubic yard. Items must be placed within two feet of the curb by 6 am on day of pickup and should NOT be blocked by a vehicle, bins or any other objects. Items should be placed out no sooner than 24 hours prior to the scheduled date of pickup.

No electronic waste, yard waste loose debris, paints chemicals or other hazardous materials are allowed.

Request an Extra Pickup for an Appliance or Bulky Item

Homeowners within city limits are allowed one free yard waste extra pickup of up to 10 30-gallon biodegradable yard waste bags or a cubic yard of bundled and tied limbs per month. Branches need to be cut to four feet or shorter, be no more than four inches in diameter and bundled securely with twine into manageable bundles.

Additional extra pickups for the month will be charged $10 per cubic yard. Extra pickups take place on the same day as trash pickup. Items must be placed within two feet of the curb by 6 am on day of pickup and should NOT be blocked by a vehicle, bins or any other objects.

Request a Yard Waste Extra Pickup

Recycling is provided by Borden Waste-Away Services through the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Management District, not the City of South Bend.

For recycling information, visit their website.

Hazardous materials should be dropped off to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, located at 828 Kerr Street. Do NOT put them in your trash. The service is free for South Bend residents.

The following materials are accepted:

• Aerosols: spray paint, insect sprays
• Batteries: only Ni-Cad, Lithium, button cell and rechargeable batteries
• Corrosives: lye, acids, drain cleaner
  Fluorescent bulbs
• Mercury: elemental, thermostats, switches and relays, vapor lamps
• Paints and solvents: paints, stains, finishing oils, thinners
• Pesticides/Herbicides: weed and grass killer, insect killers, garden chemicals
• Poisons: mouse and rat killers, roach and ant killers
• Smoke detectors
• Styrofoam
• Tires (six per year per household)
• Waste fuels: charcoal lighter, fuel oil, gasoline (No 55-gallon drums)
• Waste oils and lubricants: engine, gear, coolant (No 55-gallon drums)

More information can be found on their website or by calling 574.235.9971.

The 2024 designated holidays that will impact service are listed below. If weekly service falls on or after a City holiday, pickup will be delayed by one day. If your normal pickup is before the holiday that week, there will be no change to your service.

Monday, January 1, 2024 — New Year’s Day (observed)
Monday, January 15, 2024 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Monday, May 27, 2024 — Memorial Day
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 — Juneteenth (observed)
Thursday, July 4, 2024 — Independence Day
Monday, September 2, 2024 — Labor Day
Monday, November 11, 2024 — Veteran’s Day
Thursday, November 28, 2024 — Thanksgiving
Wednesday, December 25, 2024 — Christmas Day

The City of South Bend utilizes an innovative approach to make its Solid Waste operations more efficient.

Through the following efforts, the City powers its Solid Waste fleet and collects valuable data to improve performance, which guides future planning. In doing so, the City seeks to maximize the use of taxpayer dollars.

BIOGAS

Known as “poop to power,” the City converts human waste to biogas. This biogas is used to fuel 100 percent of its Solid Waste fleet. A process called anaerobic digestion breaks down the organic matter from wastewater into biogas. When the fleet returns for the day, it is fueled with the converted biogas overnight.

TABLETS

Drivers of the Solid Waste fleet use tablets to track weekly yard waste and trash pickup. This helps keeps an accurate record of day-to-day operations. The data collected helps determine routes, contamination rates in the bins, and resident usage.

AUTOMATION

All Solid Waste trucks utilize mechanical arms to unload trash bins, leading to a more efficient pickup process. This requires a smaller labor force and results in few on-the-job injuries among workers.