Council Bluffs, IA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

CBMC 4.12.010 defines recyclable materials as waste designated by the city for special collection and reuse, specifically including food container glass, aluminum, steel (tin) cans, #1 through #5 plastics, and uncontaminated newspapers, glossy paper such as magazines, and cardboard, with paper and cardboard counted as uncontaminated only if they have not been exposed to substances or conditions that render them unusable for recycling. CBMC 4.12.061, the chapter's waste preparation practices section, then makes separation a standalone requirement: recyclable material must be clean and separated from other garbage before it is set out.

Together the two sections mean a resident cannot mix food waste, liquids or other garbage into the recycling cart, and contaminated paper products fall out of the recycling definition entirely and must go out as regular solid waste instead. These preparation standards sit alongside the bi-weekly, one-cart-per-address collection limits set in CBMC 4.12.060, so both what goes in the cart and how much of it can be set out are separately regulated.