City responds to concerns about no curbside option
By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — Spring cleaning is here in the City of Three Rivers, and a couple of options will be available for city residents as part of a citywide pickup.
According to Three Rivers City Hall, beginning next week, residents can either use an annual dump pass or utilize a number of neighborhood dumpsters that will be dropped off in a number of areas in order to get rid of their springtime trash.
With the dump pass, city officials say that passes will be mailed to each residential address in the city, which can be used throughout the rest of the calendar year, from May 1 to Dec. 31. Dump passes are good for Waste Management’s Westside Landfill at 14094 M-60 just outside of Three Rivers, which is open Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon.
Total volume of any collection of spring cleanup trash brought to the landfill with this method cannot exceed 3 cubic yards, equivalent to one pickup truck bed. Residents cannot dispose of refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, household hazardous waste, household garbage, automotive/marine batteries, tires, rims, paints, solvents, oils, propane cylinders, lawnmowers, small engines, or any items over 5 feet long, 3 feet wide or 3 feet high and weighing more than 100 pounds. Construction and demolition materials must be less than 1 cubic yard in total volume, and any windows, glass or mirrors must be less than 3 feet by 4 feet in size.
For residents opting to use the neighborhood dumpsters, there will be large dumpsters placed at multiple locations in each district for 24 hours during the week of May 4-7, scheduled on that district’s regular trash day for added convenience. Dumpsters will be available from dawn to dusk at the following locations on the following days:
Monday, May 4 (First District)
- 508-604 Flower St. (westbound lane)
- 211 E. Adams St. (eastbound lane)
- Lyman Street north of 915 Maple St. (westbound lane)
- East Cushman Street north of 620 Elm St. (eastbound lane)
- Northbound lane across from 422 Elm St.
- West Wheeler Street north of 519 Oak Street (eastbound lane)
Tuesday, May 5 (Second District)
- Fifth Street across from 410 Fifth St. (southbound lane)
- 508-606 Ninth St. (northbound lane)
- 11th Street north of Madison Street, south of 605 11th St. (southbound lane)
- Seventh Street north of 812 Seventh St. (northbound lane)
- Michigan Street east of Seventh Street and west of 1203 Eighth St. (eastbound lane)
- 900-910 Fifth St. (northbound lane)
- Liberty Street between 1219 Fifth St. and 1218 Fourth St. (westbound lane)
Wednesday, May 6 (Third District)
- Yauney Street north of 309 Erie Ave. (eastbound lane)
- French Street east of 714 French St. (eastbound lane)
- King Street west of 411 King St. (westbound lane)
- Buck Street north of 602 Spring St. (eastbound lane)
- Hill Street west of 651 Grant Ave. (westbound lane)
- Swartz Street north of 804 Grant Ave. (eastbound lane)
Thursday, May 7 (Fourth District)
- 1216 Shiawassee River Rd. (northbound lane)
- Krum Avenue across from 1115 Krum Ave. (southbound lane)
- Ninth Avenue west of 409 Ninth Ave. (eastbound lane)
- 320-332 Seventh Ave. (westbound lane)
- 419-423 Fifth Ave. (eastbound lane)
- 216-220 Fourth Ave. (westbound lane)
- Area west of 210 Second Ave. (westbound lane)
Dumpsters will also be offered in the west parking lot from Monday, May 4 through Saturday, May 9 with access from Railroad Drive for all districts to use.
No hazardous materials, electronics, or tires will be accepted in the neighborhood dumpsters.
No curbside option?
For the second straight year, there was no option available for residents to leave their spring cleanup trash on the curbs for Waste Management to pick up, as had been done prior to 2025. And, for the second straight year, this has caused frustration for some residents who don’t have the means to get their trash to a dumpster or the Waste Management landfill.
In an email Monday, City Manager Joe Bippus said the lack of a curbside option is because of Waste Management, their partners for the spring cleanup, not having the trucks needed to effectively do curbside.
“Waste Management has changed their fleet from a rear-load truck, that guys used to load by hand, to the side-load trucks with a mechanical arm,” Bippus said. “They stated that they are no longer set up for curbside clean ups with the equipment they now use. We did ask them to look at a private company to do the work, but they were unable to reach an agreement this close to the cleanup.”
Bippus added that he wants Waste Management to investigate options to allow for curbside pickup again for next year’s spring cleanup. He also said the city is reaching out to local churches to see if there are volunteers willing to assist those in need with hauling items to the dumpsters, and also suggested those without the means to get trash to a dumpster or the landfill to try and seek assistance from friends and/or family.
There have also been concerns from residents that dumpsters would get full quickly during the day, which would lead to those who work during the day not being able to get their trash to a residentially-placed dumpster before it gets too full.
To this concern, Bippus said the city is increasing the number of dumpsters in the neighborhoods and the days they are available, and they will be monitored by the hauling company, which will then “be switched out when they are full.” He also noted the presence of the dumpster in the west parking lot near downtown.
“We will have six dumpsters there and they will be emptied throughout the day and at the end of the day so dumpsters will be available in the evening hours,” Bippus said. “The dumpsters will also be left over a weekend, so people have an opportunity to use them when they are off work.”
More information on the spring cleanup can be found at threeriversmi.org.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
