Lee's Summit, MO Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Section 25-121 requires tree limbs and yard waste, as described in §§ 25-91 and 25-92, along with solid waste containers holding other residential solid waste or recyclables, to be placed at the curb or alley for collection, and it bars putting any container, limbs, yard waste or other solid waste out at the curb or alley before the regularly scheduled collection day. Section 25-120 makes the solid waste hauler responsible for the waste from the point of collection to the transportation vehicle, but only if it was stored in compliance with §§ 25-86, 25-88, 25-91 and 25-92; any spillage or litter the hauler causes while collecting has to be picked up and loaded by the hauler.

Section 25-124, the anti-scavenger provision, makes it unlawful for anyone not licensed by the City and not under contract with the owner or occupant to knowingly search through or remove solid waste or liquid left at the curb, alleyway, parking lot or street for collection, though it does not limit law enforcement's authority to search waste. Section 25-127 excuses a hauler from collecting anything not properly prepared, stored and placed under the chapter's rules and the Director's regulations, leaving the generator responsible for arranging compliant disposal on their own.

Section 25-123 makes clear that once solid waste is loaded onto the transportation vehicle, it becomes the property of the solid waste hauler, which is why an unauthorized scavenger removing curbside items before pickup is treated as taking City-collected property rather than abandoned trash.