Solid Waste Rules and Regulations — City of Milford, DE

Milford, Delaware

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot be7e9725a14e · verified 2026-06-05 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

Page 1 of 3 PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT PHONE 302.422.1110 180 Vickers Drive FAX 302.422.1117 Milford, DE 19963 www.cityofmilford.com SOLID WASTE RULES AND REGULATIONS General Collection  The owner or occupant of each residence must place all household trash, recycling, and yard waste in the appropriate City-provided container. Yard waste, brush, and other hazardous materials are prohibited from trash containers.  The City ordinance states no containers shall be placed earlier than 3:00 p.m. of the day preceding the day of collection and not later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled day of collection and shall be removed to a point at the side or rear of the structure not later than 7:00 p.m. of the day of collection.  Container lids should be closed to keep pests and rainfall out as well as to alleviate any excess trash from falling out while tipping the container.  Any items bagged or un-bagged outside the container and not meeting the collection guideline requirements will not be collected.  All containers shall be maintained in good condition, and property owners or occupants shall notify the City promptly of any maintenance needed on containers. It is the responsibility of the occupant of the premises to keep all City containers in a sanitary condition.  Personal containers are prohibited. Placement of Containers  Always place your container so that the wheels are facing your residence and the lid opens toward the street.  Place your container at the curb edge on your driveway apron or next to it so that it is 2-3 feet away from objects such as parked cars, mailboxes, fences, and utility poles.  Containers should be side-by-side with at least two feet between containers. Please do not stack one behind the other.  Improperly placed containers will not be collected. Winter Placement - After Snowfall o The best placement is in your driveway after you have cleared it of snow. o Do not leave your container on the sidewalk or on top of a snow bank. Lost or Missing Containers  Replacement containers can be supplied upon contacting the Customer Service Office at 302-422-6616. Each situation that results in a lost or missing container is different. If containers are lost or damaged due to neglect or abuse, the customer may need to purchase the replacement. Additional Containers  Additional trash and yard waste containers are available at a minimal monthly cost. No fee for additional recycling containers. Recycling  The owner or occupant of each residence must use the City-provided container with yellow lid for recycling. All accepted recyclable material must be placed inside the container, un-bagged. Household trash, yard waste, brush, and other hazardous materials are prohibited from the recycle container and will not be collected.  Recycling is a weekly service collected on the same day as trash collection. For weekly route information please visit our website at www.cityofmilford.com/solidwaste.  A list of approved recyclable material can also be found on the City's website. Page 2 of 3 Yard Waste  The owner or occupant of each residence must use the City-provided container with brown lid for yard waste removal. All accepted yard waste material must be placed inside the container. Household trash, recycle material, and other hazardous materials are prohibited from the yard waste container and will not be collected. For information regarding more yard waste than will fit into your container, please see section below on Bulk/Brush Collection.  Yard Waste is defined as biodegradable waste consisting of leaves, grass clippings, twigs, small branches (less than four feet in length), shrubbery, pruning, and other garden material.  Yard Waste is a weekly service collected on Monday's with the exception of some holidays.  Yard Waste containers will not be collected if the lid is not properly closed. Sticks & branches must be cut down to at least four feet. Bulk/Brush  Customers are required to contact the Customer Service Office (302.422.6616) to schedule a bulk or brush pickup.  Pre-scheduled collections will occur on Mondays, with the exception of holidays.  There are a limited number of collections each Monday and collection will be scheduled on a first-come, first served basis. Once the schedule is full, you will be scheduled for the next available collection week. Please do not place items for collection until you have confirmed your scheduled collection.  Items must not be placed for collection prior to 24 hours prior to the scheduled collection day.  Customers without prior collection arrangements will be tagged and notified of subsequent billing. Items not removed by customer within 48 hours will be removed by the City and billed accordingly.  Each customer will receive two bulk or brush collections (maximum of 4 cubic yards each collection) per calendar year at no charge.  Additional collection beyond the two included collections, with a maximum of 20 cubic yards in a calendar year, will be billed to the utility account.  Bulk is defined as items "too large to be contained in a bin. Bulk trash may include, but is not limited to, oversized or overweight refuse not capable of being disposed of in specified container, such as scrap metal, appliances, furniture, BBQ grills, cardboard boxes or other items exceeding five feet in length" and other types of large household items that require special handling.  Building materials from minor projects is limited to debris from minor home improvement projects done by the resident - not by contractors. Debris from major remodeling, construction projects, or work done by contractors, will not be collected. Removal of this material is the property owner's responsibility.  Brush is defined as "woody material trimmed from trees or shrubs too large to be placed in the specified City container".  Branches are not to exceed three inches in diameter and are to be cut in lengths not to exceed four feet.  Brush must be placed neatly at the curb, butt end toward the street, and stacked so that one person can handle.  Please do not place brush in streets and do not block sidewalks. Leaf Collection  Leaf collection service is provided beginning late October through early January. For details on your collection schedule, please visit the city website at www.cityofmilford.com/solidwaste where timely seasonal announcements will be published.  Crews will inspect the entire City weekly for leaves placed out for collection. There is no need to call for scheduling. Each area will be collected once per week.  Please ensure leaves are raked to the curb no later than 7:00 am Monday morning.  Leaves must be free of debris and uncovered. Piles placed away from curb will not be collected.  For more information, please go to www.cityofmilford.com/solidwaste or call Customer Service at 302-422- 6616.  Due to the size of the City and collection equipment available, collection may take several days and will be subject to weather conditions and demand. Please be patient as our crews are working hard to provide this valuable service to the citizens of the City of Milford. Holiday Collections  An annual Solid Waste Schedule is mailed to residents each year and is available online at www.cityofmilford.com/solidwaste.  If you would like a copy sent to you, please call the Customer Service Office at 302-422-6616. Page 3 of 3 RIVER TOWN - ART TOWN - HOME TOWN Special Disposal Information  Animal Waste o Animal fecal matter will not be collected unless placed in a small, sturdy double plastic bag, or wrapped in newspaper and placed in a small, sturdy plastic bag. o Cat litter can be placed in coffee cans, sturdy plastic bags, or grocery bags that are placed inside plastic bags. o Place in container with grey lid.  Hazardous Materials, Liquid Paint, Flammable Materials, Other Chemicals, or Infectious Medical Waste o Hazardous materials will not be collected. This includes paint, varnish, stains, thinner stripper, drain cleaners, paint remover, pesticides, gasoline, and all hazardous household chemicals. o Household hazardous waste can be disposed of at Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) collection events. For information please visit www.DSWA.com  Medication o A medication disposal box is located in the lobby of the Milford Police Department. o Medication can also be disposed of in the trash container when removed from original containers, mixed with used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and placed in empty cans or sealable bags to ensure the medication is not diverted or accidentally ingested by children or pets.  Medical Needles/Syringes/Lancets or Other Sharps o The City will not collect needles, syringes, lancets or other sharps. Do not place them in any City containers. o Ask your doctor or pharmacist if they have a program for the proper disposal of medical needles.  Ashes, Vacuum Cleaner Dust, Sawdust, Remodeling/Construction Dust, Etc. o Ashes, vacuum cleaner dust, remodeling/construction dust, etc. all pose health hazards to our solid waste crews. To protect them, all material must be bagged in a sealed, weather-roof bag and placed in your trash container. o Ashes must be cold prior to disposal.  Broken Glass, Mirrors, Etc. o Broken glass and mirrors can be placed into your trash container.  Fluorescent Bulbs/Tubes o It is recommended to return fluorescent bulbs/tubes back to the store where they were purchased for recycling.  Paint o Paint must be dried out before a Bulk collection can be scheduled. o Sand or cat litter can be used to dry wet paint left in a can. This process will take time.  Motor Oil o After you change your car or truck motor oil, simply take any used oil and oil filters to a nearby Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) location. For a list of locations, go to www.dswa.com.  Contaminated Cardboard o Cardboard contaminated by grease, oil, or other contaminates should not be recycled. For pizza boxes, consider ripping the lid off to recycle that piece while the bottom, food-stained half, would be trash.  Household Batteries o Can be recycled at the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) Milford location (1170 South DuPont Boulevard). Rev: 09/16/20 11/09/21