Waterloo, IA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Item limit
- Up to 10 bulky items per work order
- Booking method
- Work order form from public works department
- Excluded from bulk
- Yard waste, hazardous waste, recycling, garbage
- Fabric items
- Couches, mattresses must be wrapped in plastic
- Restricted items
- Fridges, freezers, ACs, tires need purchased tags
- Billing
- Charged with regular water and sewer bill
Summary
Waterloo residents can schedule curbside pickup of up to ten large bulky items like furniture, tires and appliances through a public works work order under City Code § 4-3-6(A)(5). The service excludes yard waste, hazardous waste, recycling and garbage, and fabric-covered items must be wrapped in plastic before pickup.
5. Bulk Item Collection Services: Curbside collection of up to ten (10) large, bulky refuse items, such as tires, appliances, furniture, bedding, etc., can be scheduled on a specific work order form available at the public works department. No yard waste, hazardous waste, recycling materials or garbage shall be collected. The fee or charge for this service shall be as set forth in the solid waste fee schedule. Fabric covered items such as couches, chairs or mattresses shall be wrapped in plastic to prevent the spread of any possible insect infestation. Special environmentally restricted waste bulk items: Refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner, tires, etc., must be disposed of by the city at a state licensed decertification business or a licensed tire recycling business. All tags must be purchased from the city for those items to be picked up by the city.
Full Breakdown
Section 4-3-6(A)(5) lets a customer schedule curbside bulk item collection for up to ten large, bulky refuse items, such as tires, appliances, furniture and bedding, by completing a specific work order form available at the public works department; a fee applies as set in the solid waste fee schedule. The service is limited: no yard waste, hazardous waste, recycling materials or garbage may be collected through a bulk item work order, and fabric-covered items such as couches, chairs or mattresses must be wrapped in plastic to prevent spreading insect infestation before they're set out.
Certain environmentally restricted items, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and tires, must be disposed of by the city at a state-licensed decertification business or a licensed tire recycling business, and the resident must purchase the required tags from the city before those particular items will be picked up. Fees for bulk collection, like all solid waste charges, are billed through the municipal waterworks office alongside the customer's regular water and sewer bill under § 4-3-6(E), and an owner or landlord who pays a tenant's water and sewer bill is also responsible for that tenant's bulk collection charges.
Customers who dispute a bulk collection charge or an abatement cost assessed under the chapter can appeal through the process set out in § 4-3-11.
Violations & Fines
Setting out yard waste, hazardous waste, recycling materials or garbage as part of a bulk item request, or skipping the required tags for restricted items like refrigerators, freezers or tires, means those items are not eligible for city pickup under § 4-3-6(A)(5). Illegally dumping bulky items on public or private property instead of scheduling proper collection is a municipal infraction under § 4-3-9(B), punished under § 1-3-2(C), and the city can bill abatement costs to the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I schedule a bulk trash pickup in Waterloo?
Can I put a mattress out with regular bulk collection in Waterloo?
Does bulk pickup take my old refrigerator in Waterloo?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waterloo
Compare Waterloo to another location·View the Iowa trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.