Des Moines, IA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Weight limit
- 40 lbs per bag/container/bundle
- Refusal threshold
- over 65 lbs rejected
- Bundle size
- under 48 in long, 18 in thick
- Compost lot minimum
- 5,000 sq ft, single-family only
- Cart cost
- $8.34/mo (64-gal), $10.42/mo (96-gal)
Summary
Des Moines requires yard debris kept separate from trash and set out in city-approved bags, green-lid carts, or bundles, capped at 40 pounds each.
yard debris will be collected from residential premises only in bags, containers, boxes, or bundles designated for that purpose... (2)A 64- or 96-gallon solid waste container with a green lid issued by the public works department designating such container for use for collection of yard debris... Such bags, containers, boxes, or bundles, when placed for collection, shall not contain more than 40 pounds of yard debris.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Residents must separate yard debris from regular solid waste and put it out only in a Compost It! degradable bag, a 64- or 96-gallon green-lid cart from public works, a labeled cardboard box or paper bag, or a bundled limb/brush pile under 48 inches long and 18 inches thick. Each bag, container, or bundle is capped at 40 pounds; the city can refuse anything over 65 pounds or mixed with regular trash. Single-family homes on lots of at least 5,000 square feet may compost on-site instead, following the setback and fencing rules in the same section.
Violations & Fines
Mixing yard debris into regular trash or an undesignated container is a municipal infraction under Sec. 98-79; the city can reject the bag or container, leave it on the property, and require correction before it's picked up again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put yard waste in a regular trash bag?
How much yard debris can I set out at once?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
Compare Des Moines to another location·View the Iowa trash & recycling overview
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