Trash & Recycling in Ames, IA (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Ames, Iowa, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
In the City of Ames, Iowa, every hauler licensed to collect garbage, refuse or recycling must maintain prompt, reliable pickup service under Ames Municipal Code Sec. 10.20. A collector must pick up a customer's materials whenever payments are current and items are properly presented, and it must field customer complaints about missed pickups or mishandled loads, plus complaints the city manager's office refers about material dropped in the street during transit.
Ames Trash Pickup Service Rules
Some RestrictionsAmes Municipal Code Sec. 10.20
Each licensed collector shall maintain an adequate and prompt pick-up service. Collector must pick up materials if service payments are up to date and the material is properly presented in accordance with these regulations. The collector shall service all complaints from patrons on missed service and improper handling. Such service shall be promptly available for service complaints from the off...
Bin Placement Rules
In the City of Ames, Iowa, households must keep garbage and recycling in a water-tight, tightly closed hard receptacle that birds and animals cannot rip open, and plastic bags or paper sacks are never an acceptable substitute. The filled container must be delivered to ground level in a location convenient for collection, and residents must empty it before the lid can no longer close tightly.
Ames Garbage Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsAmes Municipal Code Secs. 10.3, 10.6
Garbage or recycling shall not be set outdoors for collection and disposal, or for any other purpose, except when fully contained in a water-tight and tightly closed hard receptacle that cannot be ripped open by birds or beasts. Setting out garbage or recycling in plastic bags or paper sacks is prohibited. ... All garbage, refuse and recycling shall be delivered by the householder or the occupa...
Bulk Item Disposal
In the City of Ames, Iowa, bulky household items and other large trash go to the Arnold O. Chantland Resource Recovery Center, the only authorized disposal site under Sec. 10.21 of the Ames Municipal Code. The City Council sets item-by-item fees in Appendix F: mattresses and couches cost $10 each, a hot tub is $50, and a special handling fee up to $250 applies to oversized loads needing extra tipping time. Dumping large items anywhere else is a municipal infraction.
Ames, Iowa Bulk and Large-Item Trash Disposal
Some RestrictionsAmes Municipal Code Sec. 10.21; Appendix F, Public Works Fees, Item 3(k)
There are hereby established authorized disposal facilities at such place or places as the city council may direct where garbage, refuse and yard waste shall be disposed of within the City of Ames. It shall be unlawful to dispose of garbage, refuse or yard waste, except leaves and grass, in any other place. The disposal facilities are for the exclusive use of the residents of the incorporated l...
Recycling Requirements
The City of Ames, Iowa runs a mandatory curbside recycling program under Ames Municipal Code Sec. 10.27, collecting recycling from every single-family residence and each unit of a multi-family property with up to four units. Service is billed to the responsible party at the fee set in Appendix F, and a household may opt out of receiving a recycling receptacle, but it still must pay the fee and keep recycling from mixing with garbage or yard waste.
Ames Curbside Recycling Program Requirements
Some RestrictionsAmes Municipal Code Sec. 10.27
(1) Purpose. ... The purpose of this Section is to provide for the orderly and economical separation and collection of recyclable materials from residential properties, to divert recyclable materials from the landfill and reduce the need for new raw materials, and to meet waste reduction goals identified by both the city and the state of Iowa. (2) The City shall collect recycling from all s...
Illegal Dumping
In the City of Ames, Iowa, it is unlawful to deposit garbage, yard waste, refuse or recycling in any street, alley, lane, public place, private property or body of water within city limits, and letting it sit more than seven days on property you own or control is treated the same way under Ames Municipal Code Sec. 10.9. A violation is a municipal infraction carrying a minimum $100 fine for a first offense and $200 for each repeat under Sec. 10.21.
Ames Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsAmes Municipal Code Secs. 10.9, 10.21
It is unlawful for any person to deposit or place any garbage, yard waste, refuse or recycling in any street, alley, lane, public place, private property or any body of water within the city; or, to permit garbage, yard waste, refuse or recycling to remain for more than seven days on private property that is under one's ownership, possession or control. ... Violations of this section or section...
Yard Waste Collection
In the City of Ames, Iowa, brush and tree trimmings set out for collection must be tied in bundles no more than four feet long and two feet in diameter, using hemp, sisal, cotton or another non-metallic biodegradable cord, and no single piece can exceed three inches in diameter under Ames Municipal Code Sec. 10.7. Yard waste can never be mixed with recycling, garbage or refuse in the same container.
Ames Yard Waste and Brush Bundling Rules
Some RestrictionsAmes Municipal Code Sec. 10.7
Brush and tree trimmings shall be securely tied in bundles not more than four feet in length and not more than two feet in diameter. The bundles shall be bound by means of hemp, sisal, cotton or other non-metallic biodegradable cord material. No single piece of brush or tree trimmings shall be more than three inches in diameter. Yard waste and recycling shall not be mixed with one another or wi...
Collection Schedule
In the City of Ames, Iowa, licensed haulers must collect garbage and refuse from single-family homes and multi-family properties of up to four units no more than once a week under Ames Municipal Code Sec. 10.18, though a hauler can schedule a special extra pickup for disasters, construction debris or other unusual loads. Larger multi-family properties, hotels, restaurants and similar high-volume generators must be serviced at least weekly and more often if garbage overflows or draws pests.
Ames Trash Collection Frequency Rules
Some RestrictionsAmes Municipal Code Sec. 10.18
(1) Licensed haulers shall collect garbage and refuse from single-family and multi-family up to four (4) unit residential customers not more than one (1) time per week, except that, in addition to a routine weekly collection, a licensed hauler may make arrangements for a special collection of garbage and refuse from a customer in the event of a disaster, calamity, construction or demolition p...
Recycling Rules
Ames Municipal Code Sec. 10.8(4) sets the only three lawful ways to dispose of recycling in the City of Ames, Iowa: through the Sec. 10.27 residential curbside recycling program, by delivery to a city-licensed collection agency, or by hauling it to a recycling facility in a vehicle that meets Chapter 10's container and transport standards. Any other disposal method, such as dumping recyclables with regular trash or in an unauthorized location, falls outside these approved channels.
Ames Lawful Recycling Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsAmes Municipal Code Sec. 10.8(4)
(4) Recycling. Recycling shall be disposed of as follows: (a) As provided for by the Residential Curbside Recycling Collection program in Section 10.27. (b) By delivery to a licensed collection agency; (c) By hauling to a recycling facility providing that the containers and vehicles used in transportation conform to the requirements of this chapter.
Looking for Story County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Ames city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Story County →