West Des Moines, IA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

City Code section 4-5-9 sets the container specifications that govern what West Des Moines residents can put out for pickup. Unless otherwise noted, solid waste collected by the City-approved contractor must go in a City-approved cart. Disposable bags manufactured for solid waste are acceptable only for bulky items that will not fit in the cart, and both the bag and its contents cannot exceed fifty pounds. Bulky items and any additional bags beyond the cart's capacity must carry a City-approved sticker to be collected, per section 4-5-4E.

Baskets, boxes, and other noncomplying containers are treated under section 4-5-9D: crews will still empty them into the truck if they are the proper size and otherwise acceptable, using a City-approved sticker, but any container larger than the allowable size or otherwise unacceptable is simply left uncollected at the curb. Section 4-5-10 covers how the hauler must handle what it picks up: vehicles and containers used to collect and transport solid waste cannot be loaded or hauled in a way that lets material fall, leak, or spill onto the streets or private property, and must be covered to prevent blowing or loss of material.

If spillage does occur, the collector or transporter must immediately clean it up and return the material to the vehicle. Section 4-5-2 assigns enforcement of the whole chapter, including these container and hauling rules, to the City Manager or a delegated representative.