Trash & Recycling in Sioux Falls, SD

If you live in Sioux Falls or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Sioux Falls has 9 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Bulk Item Disposal

Sioux Falls runs no free curbside bulk pickup; residents must self-haul furniture, appliances, and mattresses to the city landfill under a per-load fee schedule, or pay their licensed garbage hauler for special removal.

Key details: Mattress or box spring: $15 each (2026 rate). Pickup truck/trailer load: $20, up to 3 cu yd. Curbside bulk pickup: None: self-haul or hire hauler. Large electronics drop-off: Fee-waived at hazardous waste site. Illegal dumping penalty: Up to $500 fine, 30 days.

Illegal dumping of bulky waste on streets, alleys, or private property violates § 57.046; general penalty under § 10.999 is up to a $500 fine and 30 days in jail per day of violation.

Yard Waste Collection

Sioux Falls requires yard waste, grass clippings, garden waste, and leaves, to be collected at least once a week, either handled by the generating homeowner or picked up by a licensed commercial hauler.

Key details: Collection frequency: At least once per week. Required container: Kraft paper bag or rigid lidded bin. Third-party hauler: Must be licensed commercial hauler. Yard waste defined as: Grass clippings, garden waste, leaves. Penalty: General penalty, § 10.999.

Skipping required yard waste service or setting it out in an unauthorized container violates Chapter 57 and is enforceable under the city's general penalty, § 10.999, the same as other solid waste code violations.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping garbage, litter, or waste material on any street, sidewalk, waterway, or yard in Sioux Falls is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 and 30 days in jail.

Key details: Governing section: § 57.002 Littering Prohibited. Max fine: $500. Max jail time: 30 days. City cleanup notice period: 14 days before city removes it. Continuing violation: Each day is a separate offense.

Up to $500 fine and/or 30 days in county jail per § 10.999; each day litter remains is a separate offense; city may remove dumped waste and bill the property owner.

Recycling Rules

Every dwelling unit and occupied building in Sioux Falls must have licensed recycling collection at least twice a month, alongside weekly garbage pickup.

Key details: Recycling pickup frequency: At least twice monthly. Garbage pickup frequency: At least weekly. Container rule: Separate, marked single-stream bin. Rental units: Owner must provide service.

Dumping required recyclables at the sanitary landfill or mixing garbage into a recycling receptacle (or vice versa) is prohibited; littering and improper disposal offenses carry the general penalty under § 10.999.

Bin Placement Rules

Sioux Falls requires garbage and recycling carts to be screened from view or tucked next to the house on non-collection days, with curbside set-out allowed only from noon the day before pickup through 11 p.m. on collection day.

Key details: Governing section: Sioux Falls Code § 57.023. Curbside set-out start: Noon the day before collection. Curbside set-out end: 11 p.m. collection day or +2 hrs. Non-collection day: Screened or kept adjacent to structure. Placement limit: Not in roadway or sidewalk.

Violating the container-placement rule is a general Code violation: up to a $500 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both, and each day of continuing violation is a separate offense.

Collection Schedule

Every occupied dwelling or building in Sioux Falls must have a licensed private hauler collect garbage at least weekly and recyclables at least twice monthly.

Key details: Garbage pickup minimum: At least once a week. Recycling pickup minimum: At least twice a month. Who arranges service: Owner, occupant, or manager. Curbside window: Noon day-before to 11 p.m. pickup day.

No set fine is printed in this chapter; enforcement runs through the city's general nuisance/code-violation process, and the city can remove uncollected litter itself after 14 days' notice and bill the property owner for the cost (§ 57.006).

Dumpster Rules

Sioux Falls requires dumpsters and roll-off containers to sit adjacent to the structure out of public view except on collection day, and never in the roadway or on the sidewalk.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 57.023. Non-collection day rule: Adjacent to structure, screened from view. Earliest curb placement: Noon day before collection. Latest removal: 11 p.m. collection day. Roll-off units: Covered as a "hauling unit".

Code enforcement can cite the owner, occupant, or manager for containers left in the roadway, on the sidewalk, or out past the removal deadline; repeat placement violations are handled as municipal code violations under Chapter 57.

Recycling Requirements

Sioux Falls requires every dwelling and occupied building to have licensed commercial recycling pickup at least twice a month, kept separate from garbage.

Key details: Recycling pickup minimum: Twice per month. Garbage pickup minimum: Once per week. Container rule: Separate, marked recycling bin required. Landlord duty: Must provide/pay for recycling service. Max penalty: $500 fine, 30 days jail.

No specific penalty is set for Chapter 57 violations, so the citywide general penalty applies: up to a $500 fine and/or up to 30 days in county jail, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Sioux Falls requires licensed weekly garbage and twice-monthly recycling pickup, and bars residents from setting bins at the curb before noon the day prior or leaving them out past 11 p.m. on collection day.

Key details: Garbage collection: At least once a week. Recycling collection: At least twice a month. Curb out earliest: Noon, day before collection. Bins removed by: 11 p.m. collection day. Max fine: $500 or 30 days jail.

Early or late-set containers, missing required weekly garbage or twice-monthly recycling service, and other violations of this chapter fall under the city's general penalty: up to a $500 fine or 30 days in jail, with each day a separate offense (§ 10.999).

The Bottom Line

Sioux Falls'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 Sioux Falls is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Sioux Falls's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.