Trash Guidelines

If after reading these guidelines you have questions, call (859) 292-4417.

• Weekly: Trash is collected once a week based on this SCHEDULE. 
• Cart placement: Your trash cart should be set out at the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the evening before collection day and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. Carts should be removed from the curb no later than noon on the day after collection day and stored somewhere that’s hidden from view from the street. Non-compliance is subject to citation.
• Holidays: On weeks that include holidays, collection follows normal schedules except Christmas and New Year’s Day. During those weeks, the collection schedule is pushed back a day starting with the holiday itself.

• Residential: The City of Covington bills property owners annually using a rate each calendar year. The basic rate for a single-family residence for 2021 is $152.52. Bills typically go out by March 1 and are due 30 days after they’re mailed. You can contact the Covington Finance Department at (859) 292-2180 to confirm the City has your property billing information. For information on how to pay, see HERE. 
• Multi-unit residential (5 or more units): Property owners with a parcel consisting of 5 or more units are billed directly by the City’s service provider, Rumpke Waste & Recycling, who can be reached at (800) 828-8171. 
• Commercial: Commercial property owners are billed directly by Rumpke, who can be reached at (800) 828-8171. 

• Size: Residents are required to use the City-issued wheeled trash cart, which is typically a 95-gallon size. All garbage must fit within the cart (see “Bulk Item” section below for exceptions). Residents with physical impairments or space constraints in their yards can get a smaller 35-gallon or 65-gallon cart by calling Rumpke at (800) 828-8171 or e-mailing covington@rumpke.com. Note: If you move, leave the cart for the next owner.
• Additional carts: You can rent an additional cart for $75 a year by contacting Rumpke.
• Missing cart: Each cart has a unique serial number that is assigned to your address. Please record this number and use it to try to track down your missing cart. (If you don’t have the number, Rumpke can supply it.) If you’re unable to find your cart, fill out this FORM and return it to Rumpke using the instructions on the form.
• Damaged cart: Contact Rumpke to get a damaged cart fixed or replaced.

As a rule, trash must fit inside the City-issued cart. However, residents can set out one separate “bulk item” a week, with a “bulk item” defined as things like a piece of furniture, a mattress set, an appliance, 3 bags of yard debris, 3 bundles of carpet, 3 bundles of branches or shrubbery, or 3 additional bags of trash. 

Many bulk items must be prepared:

• Mattresses and upholstered furniture must be wrapped in plastic and sealed.
• Freon must be removed from appliances by a certified professional, with documentation attached to the appliance.
• Loose shrubbery, sticks, and lumber must be tied in bundles no longer than 4 feet and no heavier than 50 pounds.
• Carpet must be rolled or folded and tied in bundles no longer than 4 feet and no heavier than 50 pounds.
• Extra kitchen trash must be bagged, secured, and placed inside of a trash can with a lid.

These items are prohibited from being set out as “bulk items”: Tires. Batteries. Hazardous liquids. Loose trash and debris. Combustible and hazardous materials. Rocks, dirt and construction debris. Appliances still containing Freon. Fluorescent bulbs and ballasts.

Residents with a large amount of bulk items in a given week have three options:

• Arrange a special pickup by calling Rumpke.
• Drop off the items for a fee at the City’s Transfer Station in Latonia. Call (800) 828-8171  for hours and drop-off rates.
• Drop off the items at the Bavarian Landfill in Walton by obtaining a voucher from the Kenton County Public Works office by calling (859) 392-1920 or by going online HERE. 

Call Rumpke to rent an open-top Dumpster. You must obtain a City permit HERE to put a Dumpster or pod in front of or on your property.

• Yard waste should be placed inside of your trash cart. But under “bulk item” rules above, you can also place up to 3 bags of yard debris or bundles out for pickup each week. Loose shrubbery, sticks and lumber must be tied in bundles no longer than 4 feet and no heavier than 50 pounds.
• Beginning in 2020, the City is working with Rumpke to hold special programs to collect yard waste. See “programs/initiatives” on the Solid Waste and Recycling home page for details.

Do not put chemicals, batteries, combustible materials, or other hazardous items in your trash. To dispose of these:

• See Northern Kentucky Household Hazardous Waste Action Coalition website. The coalition puts out the Solid Waste Resource Guide and holds an annual drop-off event in the fall.
• Or you can drop off a wide variety of chemicals, fluids, electronics and other material for a small fee to a Cincinnati company, Environmental Enterprises, which can also be reached at (800) 722-2818.

• Oil-based (plus wood finishes, shellacs, varnishes, wood protectors, mildew resistant paints, and “preservative” paints): Treat as household hazardous waste and dispose at event or facility as described above.
• Latex (water-based, acrylic, or emulsion paint): Dispose (up to 12 cans) by solidifying and then placing – with the lid removed – either in your trash cart or on the ground next to it. To solidify small amounts, remove the lid and let it air dry over several days in a well-ventilated place away from children and pets. To solidify large amounts, mix in cat litter, sand, sawdust or a “waste paint hardener” from a hardware store. You can also pour a thin layer into a cardboard box lined with newspaper, and, when that layer is dry, pouring in another layer.
• It’s best to prevent waste upfront by buying only what you need (a gallon generally covers 250 to 350 square feet), or by using up leftover paint (for example as a base coat on other jobs).
• You can also donate leftover latex paint to Matthew 25: Ministries HERE, or at (513) 793-6256.
• And you can dispose of paint by contacting three places in Ohio: Environmental Enterprises (800-722-2818), Cleanlites Recycling (800-778-6645), or Midwest Environmental Services (513-681-9990).

Do not set tires of any kind out for Rumpke to take. Instead, drop them off at one of several free annual events. See “programs/initiatives” on the Solid Waste and Recycling front landing page for the latest information on the City and Rumpke’s event.

Every summer, the City partners with others to hold an event where electronic waste can be dropped off (and recycled). See “programs/initiatives” on the Solid Waste and Recycling front landing page for the latest information.

If you want to dispose of your food waste or used cooking oil in a more environmentally friendly manner, here are some optional, third-party options:

• Local Compost.
• GO Zero.
• Darpro.
• Mahoney Environmental.