Des Moines's Trash & Recycling: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles trash & recycling a little differently. In Des Moines, Iowa, there are 9 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Recycling Requirements

Des Moines runs a voluntary single-stream curbside recycling program: residents who opt in get a city-issued blue wheeled cart for unsorted recyclables, collected bi-weekly under Municipal Code Chapter 98.

Key details: Participation: Voluntary opt-in. Collection frequency: Bi-weekly curbside. Container: City-issued blue cart. Non-residential opt-in fee: $90 cart + $40/yr. Mixing waste with recyclables: Municipal infraction.

Placing solid waste in a recycling cart, or recyclables in with regular trash, is a municipal infraction under Sec. 98-117(e), punishable per the penalty schedule in Sec. 98-79.

The rules around recycling requirements in Des Moines lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Yard Waste Collection

Des Moines requires yard debris kept separate from trash and set out in city-approved bags, green-lid carts, or bundles, capped at 40 pounds each.

Key details: Weight limit: 40 lbs per bag/container/bundle. Refusal threshold: over 65 lbs rejected. Bundle size: under 48 in long, 18 in thick. Compost lot minimum: 5,000 sq ft, single-family only. Cart cost: $8.34/mo (64-gal), $10.42/mo (96-gal).

Mixing yard debris into regular trash or an undesignated container is a municipal infraction under Sec. 98-79; the city can reject the bag or container, leave it on the property, and require correction before it's picked up again.

Recycling Rules

Des Moines runs a voluntary single-stream curbside recycling program: blue wheeled carts get picked up every other week, and mixing trash into the recycling cart is a municipal infraction under Municipal Code § 98-117.

Key details: Cart type: Blue wheeled cart, unsorted. Collection: Bi-weekly curbside pickup. Enrollment: Voluntary, opt-in for residents. Non-residential fee: $90 one-time cart fee. Non-residential fee: $40 per year collection.

Mixing trash into a recycling cart, or recyclables into trash, is a municipal infraction under § 98-117: fines follow the schedule in § 1-15, or a civil penalty via municipal infraction.

Bin Placement Rules

Des Moines caps curbside cart set-out at 12 hours before and after your collection day, with carts placed at the street edge or alley three feet from anything else.

Key details: Set-out window: 12 hrs before collection. Pickup window: 12 hrs after collection. Clearance from other objects: 3 feet. Placement: curb strip or approved alley. Enforced by: Public Works Director.

Cart out too early or left past the 12-hour window, or blocking a sidewalk/alley: noncompliant waste isn't collected that week (§98-54(5)); repeat blocking can also draw a public-works code citation.

Dumpster Rules

Des Moines bars privately owned dumpsters and trash containers from public street rights-of-way except in alleys, and any dumpster placed on public property needs an areaway permit from the city engineering department.

Key details: Street placement: Barred except in alleys. Permit needed: Areaway permit, engineering dept.. Permit renewal: Annual, due April 1. Late penalty: 10% per month, cap 100%. Citation: Municipal Code § 102-608.

An unlicensed dumpster in the street ROW is an unlicensed encroachment under § 102-613: the city can order immediate removal and restoration of the property, and a lapsed license accrues a 10 percent monthly penalty, capped at 100 percent of the original fee.

Bulk Item Disposal

Des Moines residents must buy a $5 large-item disposal sticker and schedule pickup with Public Works before setting out furniture, mattresses, or other bulky items: unstickered items are simply left at the curb uncollected.

Key details: Large-item sticker fee: $5.00 each. Extra trash sticker fee: $1.00 each. Earliest curb placement: 12 hours before pickup. Scheduling required: Public Works 24-hr service center. Appliance disposal sticker: $35.00.

Items placed without a large-item sticker or without a scheduled pickup are left at the curb: the city has no obligation to collect noncompliant solid waste, and the director of public works enforces the chapter.

Collection Schedule

Des Moines picks up residential solid waste weekly, at least 52 times a year, per a schedule the city manager sets; holiday and weather delays roll to the next available collection day.

Key details: Frequency: Weekly, min. 52 collections/year. Schedule authority: Set by the city manager. Curb placement: Within 18 in. of roadway. Placement window: 12 hrs before/after pickup only. Alley pickup: Requires prior public works approval.

Noncompliant placement, timing, or missing stickers lets the city skip a pickup under § 98-54(5); leaving containers out too early or too long also violates § 98-54(3)d and can draw littering enforcement under § 98-70.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Des Moines collects trash weekly at least 52 times a year and requires carts set within 18 inches of the curb, three feet from other objects, no more than 12 hours early.

Key details: Collection frequency: weekly, 52+ times/year. Curb placement: within 18 inches of roadway. Spacing: 3 feet from other objects. Set-out window: no more than 12 hrs early. Enforcing agency: Public Works Department.

Noncompliant placement (wrong spot, wrong timing, unauthorized container) lets the city simply skip that premises' collection until it meets the section's requirements; only rubbish that is properly placed, timed, and containerized is picked up.

Illegal Dumping

Des Moines bans dumping litter, solid waste, yard debris or other foreign material on streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way and city property under Municipal Code § 98-70, backed by administrative penalties or municipal infraction fines that public works staff and police can issue directly.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code § 98-70. Who can cite: Public works director or police. Municipal infraction penalty: Up to $750 (first). Repeat offense penalty: Up to $1,000. Appeal window: 10 business days (§ 98-79.05).

Violating § 98-70 draws an administrative penalty from public works or police, or prosecution as a misdemeanor/municipal infraction under § 1-15: up to $750 per violation, $1,000 for a repeat offense.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Des Moines actively enforces its illegal dumping requirements.

The Bottom Line

Des Moines's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Des Moines is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Des Moines can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.