Linn County, IA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Linn County only
- Covers
- Grass, leaves, garden waste, brush, trees
- Disposal options
- Compost on-site or approved landfill
- Bluestem sites
- Accept only for composting
- Violation
- County infraction, civil penalty
Summary
In unincorporated Linn County, yard waste, grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, brush and trees, must be kept separate from household garbage, composted on-site, or hauled to an approved landfill; Bluestem sites take it only for composting, not general disposal.
All yard wastes shall be separated by the owner or occupant from all other garbage and refuse accumulated on the premises and shall be composted on the premises or placed in specified containers for collection and final disposal at a permitted sanitary landfill or other approved disposal facility.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Linn County Code § 22-21 requires owners and occupants in unincorporated areas to keep yard waste, grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, brush and trees, excluding tree stumps, separate from household garbage and refuse. Waste must be composted on the premises or bagged and hauled to a permitted sanitary landfill or other approved disposal facility. Under § 22-22, the Bluestem Solid Waste Management Sites will not accept yard waste except for soil conditioning or composting. The code sets no curbside bulk-item collection program; residents in Cedar Rapids, Marion and the county's other cities follow their own municipal rules instead.
Violations & Fines
Mixing yard waste with regular garbage is a county infraction under Code § 1-28, punishable by a civil penalty capped at the maximum amount state law allows under I.C.A. § 331.307.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Linn County pick up bulk yard waste curbside?
Can I take brush to the Bluestem site for regular disposal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linn County
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