Trash and Recycling

Weekly Trash Collection

Every household in Ottumwa has been assigned a 65 gallon, wheeled trash carts for weekly curbside pickup.     All trash should be bagged before it's placed in the cart. Place all trash in the cart and close the lid. Don't stack trash on top of the cart. Extra trash can be collected in 32 gallon trash bags with an extra container sticker attached. Extra trash stickers are for bags only, cost $1.00 each and will still be available at local grocery stores. Bags cannot weigh more than 40 pounds.

Put the cart on the curb by the street with the bar facing the street and the wheels facing your property. Keep some space between your cart and the recycling bin, street signs, fire hydrants and anything else that might impede the automated arm from collecting the cart.

Do not put yard waste, hazardous waste, bricks, concrete, dirt or liquids like oil and antifreeze in the trash cart. For information on how to dispose of these materials contact the Landfill or Recycling Center.

Carts stay with the property if you move. Each cart is numbered and the number is assigned to the address where it's delivered.

Bulky Items and Appliances  
Customers need to call the contractor for appliance and bulky item pick-up. The number is 682-1700. Appliances still require the $5.00 sticker but other bulkys do not.  Bulkys are items like chairs, sofas, appliances, mattresses.  Small electronics including computers, counter top appliances and small tv's should be placed in your cart for disposal. 

One bulky item per customer per week will be collected instead of multiple bulkys. Tires are no longer collected curbside as part of the bulky item program. Customers may take up to 5 tires to the Recycling Center for disposal.

Yard waste will be collected curbside from April 1st - November 30th.  Customers may use the drop off at the Recycling Center and Landfill for off season yard waste disposal. Live Christmas trees will still be collected during January.

Walk up customers need to place trash so that it's visible from the street. Walk up customers do not have to use the 64 gallon carts and should call the contractor at 682-1700 if they do not want a cart. 

Collection day for trash and recycling are the same. Customers will still use the red recycling bins for recyclables. Yard waste will be collected curbside in O/W paper bags. Appliances and Bulky Items will still be collected curbside. Walk up customers will still receive door step service at no charge.  Contact the Recycling Center at 683-0685 if you have questions about what goes into the recycling bin.

Trash Collection Rates and County Customer Subscribers
Customer monthly rate effective July 5, 2011 is $16.00 per household. A $2.00 discount for SIEDA qualifying City households will be applied. Yard waste bag cost is $1.00 and extra trash bag tags are $1.00. Wapello County customers within 2 miles of the city limits may subscribe and their rate is $25.25. SIEDA discount does not apply to County customers. County Customer Subscription Form

Recycling 
Trash customers can set out an unlimited amount of recyclables in their red recycling bin for collection on their regular trash colleciton day.  
Use the use the red bin to put the following items in: 
    Newspapers, catalogues, phone books, magazines
    Corrugated cardboard and paperboard
    Office Paper - Always bagged - Use old grocery and discount store plastic bags
    Plastic bottles and jars
    Aluminum and Steel cans - including empty aerosol cans
    Green, brown or clear glass food and beverage containers

Contact the Recycling Center for more information about red bin recycling and what items can only be dropped off at the Center. Ask about Household Hazardous Materials disposal. 641.683.0685

Walk Up Customers
Walk up customers are those who cannot physically take their trash and recycling to the curb for collection and whose medical practitioner has submitted a walk up needs statement to the collection contractor. Download the subscription form and take to your physician. You or the physician will fax to Bridge City Sanitation at 641-682-8118. Walk up customers should place trash and recycling so that it's visible from the street. Walk up customers do not have to use the 64 gallon carts and may call the contractor if they do not want a cart. Walk up service is not available for County customers.

For services and fee information, see the Services & Fees page.

Commercial, Church and Multi-Family Apartment Building Trash Subscription Form

Walk Up Services Subscription Form

Important Environmental Numbers

Wapello County Solid Waste Coordinator (641)-683-0694
Wapello County Landfill (641)-683-0644
Wapello Recycling Center (641)-683-0685
Iowa Department of Natural Resources 1-800-DNR-1025
Federal Environmental Protection Agency 913-551-7058

Facilities

How are Solid Waste Activities Funded?

Many people think that the Wapello Recycling Center and Landfill are supported by tax money. That's not true. Both of these facilities are funded by revenue generated by tipping fees at the Landfill and by money generated from the sale of material from both facilities. Revenue that is generated at the Landfill also helps fund new landfill space development.. The sale of materials from the Recycling Center funds 30% of the recycling operation. This percentage changes depending upon the strength of the markets for recycled materials.