Waterloo, IA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

Section 4-3-4 obligates the city to provide disposal service for garbage, refuse, recycling materials and yard waste to every premises within Waterloo's corporate limits, subject to three carve-outs: business establishments and multiple dwellings (buildings with more than four units) must arrange their own private licensed collector for garbage and refuse rather than use city pickup, and hazardous materials are never accepted by the city or by any private hauler licensed under the chapter. For the single-family premises the city does serve directly, § 4-3-6(A)(1) charges a fixed monthly sum entitling each customer to one standard garbage container collected weekly on an automated route; an extra thirty-gallon bag placed on the cart's lid requires a purchased tag under the same fee schedule.

The public works department oversees this collection system under § 4-3-2 and may adopt further administrative policies by council resolution. Containers must be placed at ground level within three feet of the curb or alley line with unobstructed access for automated trucks, and a container blocked by a locked gate, dog, parked vehicle or yard equipment will not be emptied that week, triggering a separate return-trip fee if the customer wants it picked up before the next scheduled run. Customers billed through the municipal waterworks office can seek a partial fee exemption by annual application to the city clerk if they meet criteria set by the council's finance committee.