Click here to view the city’s Climate Action Plan.

Purpose: Clean Water Lakewood is a program aiming to better manage our combined sewer overflows and protect our natural resources meeting the requirements of the Clear Water Act.

Brief description of challenge:

Lakewood is working on a plan to reduce our combined sewer overflows into Lake Erie.

Our 100 year old sewer system combines sanitary sewage and storm water. When it rains, when snow melts, and when water is flowing off of impermeable surfaces such as roofs and streets, excess flow of combined stormwater and wastewater discharge into Lake Erie or Rocky River. Under dry conditions all wastewater is treated.

As with the original investments in the City, Lakewood must invest in infrastructure so that it meets the demands of Lakewood’s second century, under the law and for the benefit of human and environmental health.

The Clean Water Lakewood task force is a group of Lakewood residents and business owners assembled to help identify the best paths forward for water infrastructure in Lakewood. This group is focusing on facilitating best solutions for controlling sewage overflows.

The City of Lakewood Division of Refuse and Recycling provides once-per-week curbside service for the collection of household refuse, bulk items, recyclables and yard waste to properties with one through four household units.

Please see map below to find your collection day:

Multi-unit properties with five or more units are responsible for contracting refuse collection however the City of Lakewood collects furniture and other large bulk items.  Recycling for these units can be dropped off at the Berea Road facility from 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

The Director of Public Safety adopts Rules and Regulations for the placement of refuse, trash, bulk waste, yard waste and recyclables in a manner that will promote collection efficiency and the protection of the quality of neighboring properties.

Any violation of any rule or regulation may result in the property owner being charged for the actual cost of such work or the administrative cost incurred for the enforcement of such rule or regulation. Property owners are responsible for making sure their tenants are aware of and comply with Rules and Regulations. Ord. 1777.02

Collection Hours

Regular Collection Hours: Monday through Friday – 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

*Holiday Collection Hours and days of collection are subject to change to accommodate collection in four instead of five days. Please refer to the Holiday Collection Schedule.

Setout Hours: Between 6:00 p.m. the night before collection and 6:00 a.m. on the day of collection. Please refer to the Holiday Collection Schedule directions for set out hours during holiday weeks.

Empty Refuse and Recycle Carts must be removed from the curb by the end of each collection day.

Early and late set outs are violations of Ordinance 1777.01 and may result in collection fees charged to the property owner.

Drop off hours

Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Saturday:    8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

***Limited to Lakewood residents using their personal vehicles – NO TRAILERS OR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ALLOWED ON SATURDAY.

Have a look at this PDF to get the scoop about all the ins-and-outs of the city’s Green Refuse and Recycling Initiative. This document covers everything from disposing of construction materials and hazardous waste (such as paint) to obtaining an additional cart.

The drop-off facility is located at 12920 Berea Road. Please call 216-252-4322 for any additional information.

• Appliance & Metal Collection
• Automated & Bulk Refuse Collection
• Holiday Collection Schedules
• Recycling Guidelines
• Refuse FAQs
• Yard Waste Guidelines
• Multi-Unit Properties: Multi-unit properties with five or more units are responsible for contracting refuse collection however the City of Lakewood collects furniture and other large bulk items.  Recycling for these units can be dropped off at the Berea Road facility from 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
• Public can collection: Refuse and Recycling Division employees manually collect from more than 200 curbside public street cans each week. The City’s new, large capacity, automated collection street cans save time and reduce litter. Please notify the Refuse and Recycling Division if you see an overflowing public street can.

• Backyard Composting
• Mercury Information
• Rain Barrel Information
• Recycling Guidelines
• Refuse and Recycling Route Collection Map
• Rules and Regulations
• Slow Down To Get Around Flyer
• Yard Waste Guidelines

The annual fall leaf collection program begins in November and continues for a minimum of three collections over a six week period. This schedule will generally be adjusted to account for interfering weather conditions. Leaves and other yard wastes are collected at other times throughout the year when residents place them in the standard paper yard waste bags on the regular refuse collection days.

Click here for 2024 Leaf Collection Schedule.

Composting

The city of Lakewood encourages residents to compost. Here are some tips:

Composting ordinance

Click here to learn more about composting.

Dominion East Ohio Home Performance with Energy Star

This program takes a comprehensive approach to help boost your home’s comfort and long-term value, while keeping your energy bills in check. The program includes a:

• Home energy assessment by a certified auditor to evaluate your home and learn more about how it is using—and wasting—energy. Also includes free installation of several energy-efficient products.
• Customized report with recommendations on how to lower your energy bills and a list of participating, qualified contractors to perform any upgrades. Rebates up to $1,250 are available.

Call 877-287-3416 to schedule an assessment. Visit Dominion East Ohio online for more information.

NOPEC Programs

The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) is an organization of local governments in northeast Ohio that work cooperatively to provide cost savings for individual customers. The city of Lakewood participates as a NOPEC community, promoting environmental awareness and cost savings for the community through its electric service aggregation program.

NOPEC Connect
In 2016, NOPEC launched NOPEC Connect, a pilot program designed to help up to 500 NOPEC customers improve their electric energy efficiency. NOPEC Connect participants must have a myNOPEC account and agree to participate in monthly market research, provide honest feedback, and remain a NOPEC member for their electric supply until December 2019. In exchange, participants receive:

• • Programmable Thermostat ($150 value) – automatically adjusts temperature to your specific settings and can be remotely accessed through a myNOPEC account
  • Smart Plug ($45 value) – an outlet attachment that enables you to turn a plug on and off either manually or by logging into myNOPEC
  • NOPEC Connect Gateway ($150 value) – a router that communicates with the programmable thermostat and smart plug through its own wifi signal
  • One-year free NOPEC Connect service ($240 value)

Watch a short NOPEC Connect video to learn more about enrolling in the program.

Utility Company Energy Incentive Programs

Consider participating in local energy incentive programs, including First Energy/The Illuminating Company’s online home energy analyzer which helps residents gain a better understanding of household energy use.

Cuyahoga County Community Toolkit

The Cuyahoga County Department of Sustainability and the GreenCityBlueLake Institute of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History partnered to create Sustainable Cuyahoga, a toolkit which highlights community best practices in sustainability from around Northeast Ohio.

Clean Energy Financing Hub

The Hub brings financing for energy efficiency upgrades and solar projects at competitive rates to building owners—including small businesses, large commercial/industrial, local government, non-profit, and faith-based institutions—in Cuyahoga County.

Cuyahoga County Hub Solar Financing makes solar effective and secures better pricing for area cities and non-profits by aggregating multiple solar installations across the County. The Hub also has cut the administrative, legal, and financing costs to make solar accessible for building owners who cannot capture solar tax benefits themselves. Explore financing from the program and get started on your solar project.

Ohio Solar United Neighborhoods (OH SUN) Cuyahoga County Solar Co-op

OH SUN helps Ohians organize solar co-ops to make going solar more affordable and accessible. The group is organizing a co-op in Cuyahoga County, which enables participants to save 15-30% off the system cost and build a network of solar supporters. Visit the Cuyahoga County Solar Co-op online for more information.

NEORSD Stormwater Management Program Credit Workshops

Attend a workshop to learn more about the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Stormwater Management Program and how you can reduce your stormwater fees through stormwater credits. Customers can obtain credit on their stormwater fees by taking measures to reduce the stormwater rate or volume flowing from their property into the regional stormwater system. Workshops are available on the website.

For Kids

It’s never too early to teach children to be mindful of their carbon footprint and to understand that their choices affect the environment. Encourage them to visit the following kid-friendly websites to explore ways to live an energy-efficient lifestyle:

• Energy Star Kids
• Energy Information Administration Energy Kids
• US Dept. of Energy Science Education

The City of Lakewood maintains all of the trees on public property, including those on tree lawns. Trees are removed when they are diseased or dead and pose a danger to the public. A certified urban forester supervises a crew of arborists who have all of the required equipment to trim branches, remove diseased trees including the stumps, plant new trees and shred the resulting wastes for recycling into mulch. Tree lawn trees are replaced according to a master reforestation plan. Mulch is available to Lakewood residents free of charge at the location near the Animal Shelter in the Rocky River valley. Logs are also available to residents for use as fire wood free of charge at the same location.

As the city’s aging trees begin to die — many of them planted around the same time, 100 years ago — many of the warm and inviting canopies have disappeared.

The city’s forestry department and Lakewood Tree Task Force have developed a comprehensive strategy to improve the tree canopy and add diversity to the variety of species around the city.

In just two years, the organization has already helped plant dozens of trees at Madison and Lakewood parks, presented 19 recommendations to Lakewood City Council supporting tree legislation and worked with the city’s forestry department to plant nearly 600 trees around Lakewood.

The city’s strategy also includes an effort to prepare the city for climate change, add diversity to the urban forest, withstand pest infestations and storms, and add in trees with more fall colors. More trees also means less storm water runoff.

The Lakewood tree canopy has been assessed by satellite at 28.5 percent.

The goal is to increase the tree canopy by 10 percent, to 33.5 percent by the year 2035.

Want to contribute? The task force is encouraging residents to support its Gift-A-Tree initiative.

For more on the city’s tree strategy, see the city’s two recent videos: Planting Trees in Lakewood and Lakewood Working With the Tree Task Force to Improve Tree Canopy.

• Registered Forestry Contractors »
• Trees In Lakewood Information Sheet »
• City Tree Lawn Request a Planting
• Private Property Tree Planting Opportunity

• Mulching Guide
• Private Property Tree Planting Opportunity
• Young Tree Care – Fall Planting
• Young Tree Care-Spring Planting
• Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan
• Trees In Lakewood
• Gift A Tree Donation Information
• City Tree Lawn Request a Planting

• 2023 Water Quality Report
• No Wipes in Pipes
• Typical Water Setting For Meters
• Mercury Information
• Summer Sprinkling Program