we're on a roll

We're on a Roll with Priority Waste Refuse Collection

In another move to innovate resident services and create a sustainable future for its community, the city of Sterling Heights has transitioned to a unified cart system and universal curbside recycling for all residents.

Sterling Heights City Council recently awarded a new 10-year contract for waste collection and curbside recycling services to Priority Waste, a leading waste management company known for its commitment to environmental sustainability and outstanding service.

Refuse Service Collection map

Residential Service Requests

Need to report a missed pickup, file a complaint, or request assistance with your residential waste services? Submit your issue directly through the new Priority Waste Service Request Portal. This includes concerns related to trash, recycling, yard waste, or bulk collection.

Cart Example

Frequently Asked Questions


Why is the City transitioning to cart collection?

  • Cart collection is a best management practice for refuse collection across the country because it removes loose, unsightly trash being placed at the curb, and it eliminates potential food sources that attract unwanted rodents. 
  • Collection will be automated and picked up with a mechanical arm returned to the same position. 
  • The heavy carts will not blow around like the light-weight containers currently in use throughout the City. 
  • Automated cart collection will only require one-man trucks, which is far more cost effective and safer by eliminating the need for personnel to ride on the back of the truck.
  • Transitioning to cart collection aligns with the City’s guiding principle of having well-maintained, desirable and aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods and roads, and improves the health and safety of our community by reducing the rodent population. 
  • Cart collection follows the City’s award-winning Sustainability Plan 

What if I do not want a 95-gallon refuse cart and a 65-gallon recycle cart?

  • The City Ordinance will state all curbside collection of refuse and recycling shall be collected in a cart.
  • The carts are highly durable and on wheels, making them easy to maneuver, even for children and seniors. This will make the process of taking out the trash much easier and more convenient than dragging a can or carrying multiple bags to the curb. 
  • The refuse tax you pay includes the cost of the carts and service throughout the year. 

What if I have more trash and recycling than my carts can hold?

  • The 95-gallon refuse carts hold roughly eight 14-gallon kitchen trash bags.
  • Residents will also be receiving a 65-gallon recycling cart. If you have not recycled in the past, the new curbside recycling cart will reduce the amount of trash bags you generate each week.
  • If holding onto the additional material until the following week is not an option, a special pickup of the extra material can be requested, for an additional cost, directly with the City’s refuse vendor, Priority Waste. If you expect to continuously have more material than what the carts can hold, you can purchase additional approved carts from Priority Waste for $110, and they will service multiple approved refuse carts at an address for no additional charge.

What if I put out trash or my recycling next to or on top of the lid of my cart?

  • It will not be serviced with normal collection and will be tagged for a special collection. If left uncorrected for 24 hours, the material will be collected at an additional cost to the property owner for a special collection.

What if I have bulk materials, like a refrigerator or a mattress, that need to be collected?

  • Bulk items will be serviced on the same day as regular collection without an additional cost.
  • NO CHARGE bulk items include: appliances (refrigerators and freezers must have doors removed), furniture, carpet that is rolled and tied in bundles of four feet or shorter, small home remodel projects like doors and mirrors (taped as much as possible to avoid shattering), drained hot water tanks, mattresses (must be in a mattress bag if soiled or has any bug infestation), wood boards with no nails or screws tied in bundles of four feet or shorter and large cardboard boxes broken down in bundles of four feet or shorter.
  • There is a FIVE-ITEM LIMIT for bulk refuse pick up each week. If you are doing a large house/garage cleanout, a large remodel project, or a move-out, you may want to order a special pick-up from Priority Waste or rent a dumpster. A special pick-up ranges from $137.50 to $275, depending on the size. You can rent a 20-yard dumpster from Priority Waste by calling them directly, or you may also be able to find a less expensive rubber-wheeled 10-20-yard dumpster for rent from another vendor online. Each individually bundled item will count as one bulk item. Bundled items must be no more than 4 feet long and weigh no more than 50 pounds. Bundled items would include any wood moldings/boards with no nails or screws, rolls of carpeting/padding, cardboard boxes broken down/flat. 
  • Items that DO NOT qualify as bulk refuse include: dirt/soil, brick/block, wet paint cans/oils, wood with nails/screws, fully intact basketball poles and backboards, hot tubs, pool tables, trash bags of any kind, boxes filled with refuse, yard waste in plastic bags and any non-approved containers.
  • If you regularly have more bagged trash than can fit in your 95-gallon refuse cart, you can either hold onto some of it for the following week or request a special paid pick-up (see info above). If you recycle and still consistently have more bagged trash than can fit in your 95-gallon refuse cart, you can purchase additional approved carts from Priority Waste for $110, and they will be serviced for no extra charge.
  • If you want to schedule a Special Pickup from Priority Waste, please call 586-228-1200.

How long will it take to receive my new 95-gallon refuse cart and my 65-gallon recycle cart? 

  • All carts should be delivered during the month of April 2024. However, you will continue using your existing cans or bags until servicing of the new carts begins on May 1, 2024. On your first scheduled day of refuse collection on or after May 1, please begin using your new refuse and recycle carts.

What if my cart is broken or damaged during servicing?

  • The carts designed for refuse and recycling provided as a part of this service are under warranty by Priority Waste and will be repaired or replaced at no cost, so long as homeowner negligence is not identified.

How will yard waste be collected?

  • Yard waste may be placed in brown paper bags purchased from a local hardware store. Each bag cannot exceed 50 pounds. Homeowners may also purchase a 95-gallon yard waste cart from the City’s refuse vendor for $110. Each cart cannot exceed 100 pounds. Residents may also use the former-vendor's dark green refuse cartmarked with the City of Sterling Heights logo on the sides for yard waste, so long as they label it with compost/yard waste stickers on both sides (previously, it was indicated you needed a sticker for the lid as well, but DPW has determined that one sticker on each side of the cart is sufficient). Branches can be placed in yard waste bags, a proper yard waste cart or bundled and tied in lengths of four feet or less and placed outside the cart to be picked up as yard waste.

What can I do with my old refuse/recycling/yard waste container?

  • Priority Waste will collect and dispose or recycle your old refuse containers. Simply place the unwanted container at the curb starting May 1 with a note taped to the cart or marked with a RED X (with tape, paint or marker) and leave it empty, top down at the curb so we know it is okay to throw away. NOTE: please consider not putting all your old containers out on the first week of Priority Waste service so they can space out the collection. You can also keep and use your old cans in your garage or basement.
  • For those who had previously purchased a dark green GFL refuse cart, you may retain and continue to use this cart as a secondary refuse cart. Priority Waste will service this refuse cart without charge. You may also retain and use this cart for yard waste, as long as you label the cart with “compost” or “yard waste” stickers on both sides of the cart.
  • For residents who paid to participate in the former curbside recycling program, you may keep your bright green recycling cart to use for other purposes, but it will not receive any service from Priority Waste. If you do not wish to keep your former recycling cart, starting May 13, there will be a routine removal of the GFL recycling carts from households. To facilitate this process, please empty the GFL recycling cart and place it in an accessible location for pickup, either at the curb or your designated collection area. Leave the GFL recycling cart there until collected. If your GFL recycling cart has not been picked up by May 25, please call Priority Waste at 855-927-8365.

What if I am a current subscriber of curbside recycling?

  • Your final invoice will be prorated through April 30, 2024 based on your specific billing cycle. There will be no interruption in service to your home. The 10,000 current subscribers to the program will no longer pay a separate $57 annual recycling fee.

What will happen with the recycle center?

  • With the ability to recycle from the curb, the recycle center will be closed, saving over $150,000 annually. 

How do I currently pay for refuse collection? 

  • Residents pay for refuse annually through a special refuse millage in their current property taxes which averages $107 (or $8.92 per month). The new price averages $136 per year (or $11.33 per month). The increase is largely attributable to inflationary factors resulting from the expired contract that was eight years old.  The new service includes a heavy duty refuse cart & recycling cart with weekly curbside collection. The cost is lower than what many surrounding communities are paying for refuse and recycling services.  

Will I be billed separately for this new value-added service? 

  • No, the cost of this program is contained in the refuse tax.

Where can I store my refuse & recycle cart?

  • Carts can be stored in your garage or behind the front line of your home, either on the side of your home or behind.

A recycling cart was delivered to my home, but I do not want it. Will you take it back?

  • Up to 70% of what goes into the trash can be recycled. The City of Sterling Heights is committed to reducing what is sent to a landfill and encourages everyone to participate in recycling to reduce waste. Participating in recycling keeps good materials in use and helps maintain thousands of Michigan jobs. In order to keep program costs low, the City received a $1.3 million grant to purchase the recycling carts. While some may feel they do not want to participate in recycling at the moment, there may be times in the future where they have cardboard, newspaper and the like that can easily be placed in the cart and rolled to the curb for collection.

What if I am physically unable to maneuver the carts to the collection area?

  • All carts have wheels and are specifically designed to be light weight and easily maneuvered. However, Priority Waste offers door-side service for carts on the side or front of a house for disabled residents who are incapable of moving a refuse or recycling cart to the collection area. Please contact Priority Waste at 855-927-8365 for program details and to see if you qualify for enrollment in this service.

What items am I allowed to recycle?

  • Empty and clean paper and cartons
  • Shredded paper may be recycled by placing it in a cardboard box that is stapled shut.
  • Flattened Cardboard
  • Empty and dry aluminum cans, steel cans and foil trays
  • Empty and dry plastic bottles, jars and jugs
  • Empty and dry glass bottles and jars

What items are not allowed in my recycling cart?

  • No bagged recyclables. Please place loose recyclables in your blue recycling cart.
  • No plastic bags or plastic wrap
  • No styrofoam
  • No batteries or electronics
  • No hoses, cords or wires
  • No wire or plastic hangers
  • No metal strips

Where can I get more information?  

  • The City will soon begin a public education campaign that will include mailers, town hall meetings, social media, and information in the seasonal City magazine.
  • Contact the Department of Public Works at 586-446-2440.