Cedar Rapids is a city located in eastern Iowa. In Cedar Rapids, the City Department of Solid Waste and Recycling Division works under government supervision to collect and recycle trash throughout the city. As a responsible citizen, there are some duties imposed on you by the government to keep the environment of Cedar Rapids healthy and clean.
Cedar Rapids Collection Schedule
Solid waste collection, recycling, and yard waste collection will be provided to all 41,400 homes of Cedar Rapids once a week. To ensure access to these services for everyone, the Solid Waste and Recycling Division divides this area into sections. Click on the following link to get your trash and recycling collection schedule:
https://cms8.revize.com/revize/cedarrapids/document_center/Utilities/Collection%20Day%20Map.pdf
Trash Schedule Requirements
To ensure collection, you have to place your trash cart outside by 7 AM on your trash collection day. Do not place any container before 6 PM on the evening of the day prior to your scheduled day.
Do not overfill trash carts; your cart lid must be able to close to ensure collection. Similarly, do not put any material outside of the trash cart because material lying outside of the cart will not be collected.
If you have space, line up your trash cart next to the road. Place your carts on the same level as the street because putting carts on tall places, such as piles of snow, could be dangerous for trash collection crew members.
Recycling Schedule
CURBY is a big blue cart that the Solid Waste and Recycling Service provides to the citizens of Cedar Rapids to place all recyclable trash into it.
Recycling services are provided each week along with traditional garbage pickup. Acceptable recycling materials include paper, plastic containers and bottles, metal jars and containers, cartons, and cardboard.
Although glass is a recyclable material, you are not allowed to put it into CURBY because it could pose a safety hazard to recycling crews. So, place glass materials into a separate basket attached to the cart handle.
Bulk Items Collection Schedule
When you need to dispose of large items like appliances or furniture, the Cedar Rapids Solid Waste and Recycling Division can schedule a special pickup. To schedule a pickup for bulky item collection, call 319-286-5897. Bulky items collection is usually scheduled during normal business hours.
Call at least one business day prior to your garbage pickup day to schedule collection.
Charges for Bulky Item Collection
The fee for these services will be added to your coming monthly utility bill, and the normal bulk item fee is almost $5 per item. Costs vary depending on the size and type of bulk items, so prices will be determined accordingly.
Cedar Rapids Yard Pickup Schedule
The Solid Waste and Recycling Division will provide you with YARDY carts to dispose of all yard waste. YARDY is a green-colored cart that can easily be wheeled to the curbside on your collection day.
To ensure your yard pickup, place your YARDY at a distance of 3 feet from all other heavy objects that could cause problems during collection. Acceptable yard material includes leaves, sticks/twigs, grass clippings, and other compostable materials such as fruit and vegetable peelings and baked goods.
Most of the year, YARDY carts are picked up on your regular garbage day, but during winter, from mid-January to early March, you will need to ask for yard waste pickup. This is because not many people use the yard waste service during winter, so it helps save money and fuel to only schedule pickup when someone asks for it.
Residents can schedule collection services by contacting Solid Waste and Recycling Service at 319-286-5897 or submitting a MyCR request.
Extra Yard Waste
In case you have more yard waste that cannot fit in the cart, here are a number of options to dispose of it:
Separate brushes into dimensions of 2 feet in length and 3 feet in width, and bundle weights of less than 40 pounds. The maximum diameter of branches should be 5 inches. Use biodegradable twine to bundle and set in front of your yard cart for collection.
Use the spring and fall leaf vacuum collection program. Kraft bags are only collected during the spring season in the month of April. Additional yard carts can be purchased for $6 plus tax by calling the Solid Waste and Recycling office at 319-286-5897.
Cedar Rapids Trash Holiday Schedule
The following are the holidays that the City of Cedar Rapids observes annually, which may delay your normal trash collection schedule by one day throughout the week.
| Holidays | Date and Day | Changes in Pickup Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day 2024 | Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 | No collection. One-day delay all week. |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 27, 2024 | No collection. One-day delay all week. |
| Labor Day | Monday, Sept. 2, 2024 | One-day delay all week. |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024 | No collection. One-day delay for the remainder of the week. |
| Christmas Day | Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 | No collection. One-day delay for the remainder of the week. |
Other than these holidays, there are several holidays that the City of Cedar Rapids observes and they will not impact the normal trash collection schedule.
| Holidays | Date and Day |
|---|---|
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 20, 2025 (Monday) |
| Presidents’ Day | February 19, 2024 (Monday) |
| Good Friday | April 18, 2025 (Friday) |
| Independence Day | July 4, 2024 (Thursday) |
| Veterans Day | November 11, 2024 (Monday) |
Waste disposal and recycling services will be provided on all these holidays.