Gary Sanitary District: Curbside trash placement required beginning July 1

Beginning July 1, 2026, the Gary Sanitary District said residents must move all household trash bins to the front of their homes and place them at the curb for collection, ending alley pickup for city collection routes.

"Beginning 07/01/2026, all trash bins must be moved to the front of your home and placed at the curb for collection," an agency official for the Gary Sanitary District said in a recorded announcement. The district advised placing bins at the curb the night before scheduled pickup, keeping containers at least 3 feet from vehicles, mailboxes and other containers, and removing bins from the curb by day’s end after collection.

The announcement gave a contact for questions and additional information — garysanitary.gov and (219) 944-0595 — and urged residents to cooperate to keep Gary clean. The message was distributed alongside other city promotional items; residents should consult the sanitary district website or call the number above for route-specific instructions and exceptions.

The policy change affects all residents on municipal collection schedules; the recorded notice did not provide enforcement details or an exemption policy. For further clarification about multi-unit housing, alley-served properties, or service exceptions, the district’s contact points were provided in the announcement.