Garbage/Yard Waste

Yard Waste Pickup

Yard waste pickup for the City of Spirit Lake is on Fridays from April through October, weather permitting.

Effective January 1, 2009 yard waste such as grass clippings, leaves, and brush must be placed in 30-gallon brown kraft paper bags for curbside pickup.  Orange plastic bags will no longer be allowed for yard waste pickup; however, residents can use their leftover orange bags for their regular garbage and City crews will pick up the garbage filled orange bags in addition to the normal pickup of the green bags.  Leaves, grass, and brush be in the 30-gallon brown kraft paper bags must not exceed a total weight of 40 pounds per bag.  Residents can obtain these 30-gallon brown kraft paper bags from local retailers such as Bomgaars, Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart, and HyVee.

Branches up to 1-inch in diameter may be bundled with twine or jute for curbside pickup also.  Branch bundles may not exceed 12-inches in diameter, 4-feet in length, or exceed a weight of 40 pounds.  Branches wider than 1-inch in diameter will also be picked up curbside, but must be bundled separately with other branches of similar thickness with bundles not exceeding 12-inches in diameter, 4-feet in length, and not exceed a weight of 40 pounds. Branches exceeding 5-inches in diameter will not be accepted.

The City no longer allows drop off of yard waste at the Public Works Building. If you wish to drop-off yard waste, please use the City’s new drop-off site at the old landfill east of Orleans. The new Spirit Lake Green Waste Site is located at 2616 140th Street, approximately ½ mile east of Orleans. The waste site will open from sunrise to sunset and available free to local residents. Fees may be charged for non-residents and commercial haulers. Contact City Hall for more information.

Garbage Service

Solid Waste and Recycling Schedule

The following information is for residents of the City of Spirit Lake concerning solid waste pickup and recycling programs.

The City of Spirit Lake strongly recommends that all citizens take part in the effort to reduce what is disposed of through the garbage and taken to the landfill, by recycling.

Solid waste curbside pickup
Household waste is picked up following this schedule:

Monday: south of 18th Street and east of Hill Avenue

Tuesday: north of 18th Street and east of Hill Avenue

Wednesday: north of 18th Street and west of Hill Avenue

Thursday: south of 18th Street and west of Hill Avenue

All solid waste needs to be put in the green City Bags or it will not be picked up. Set only the green bags at the curb. Do not leave the bags in a can.

The charge for each residential premise is $11.75 per month. There are 50 garbage bags on each roll for $25. Additional bags can be purchased at these Spirit Lake locations:

Spirit Lake City Hall
Hy-Vee
Fareway
Bomgaars
Ace Hardware
Kum & Go
Casey’s General Store

Individual bags are available at City Hall for 75 cents each.

Recycling in the City of Spirit Lake
There are two methods for disposing of your recyclable items:

• Curbside pickup on your scheduled day
• Dispose of items any time in the appropriate Dumpsters at the Public Works Building

Curbside recycling pickup for plastic, glass, tin and corrugated cardboard is done twice per month:

1st and 3rd Wednesday for residents north of 18th Street
2nd and 4th Wednesday for residents south of 18th Street

Tips for recycling

• All residences were provided recycling bins
• Yellow for plastics – any plastic with a recycle symbol is accepted
• Gray for tin and glass – these materials can go together but plastics must be kept separate
• If these bins are no longer with the house, any container or box can be used, so long as the recycling workers can determine that plastic is not mixed with the glass and tin. Clear plastic bags are also acceptable in lieu of a container
• Corrugated cardboard must be flattened and tied or bundled for curbside pickup
• No slick cardboard can be recycled at curbside. Please take items such as cereal boxes, tissue boxes, etc., to the Dumpsters at the Public Works Building
• Magazines and slick paper should be tied or bundled for curbside pickup on your recycle day
• Newspapers and white paper will be picked up by Kiwanis at the curbside on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Bundle and tie the paper and have them curbside by 9 a.m. for pickup
• Acceptable items for the recycling Dumpsters at the north side of the Public Works Building include:
• Glass
• Metal cans
• Plastics with recycle symbol
• Corrugated cardboard (flattened)
• Slick cardboard (flattened with liners removed)
• Newspapers should be bundled, tied and taken to the Kiwanis trailer on the south of the Public Works Building

Holiday Garbage and Recycling Schedule
If your regular pickup day falls on a holiday, your garbage will be picked up the next working day, i.e. if Christmas falls on a Tuesday and your normal pickup day is Tuesday, your garbage will be picked up on Wednesday.

Curbside Tag System Household Items
Household appliances regulated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, other unregulated white goods, electronic items, tires and miscellaneous items not to exceed 2 cubic yards can be disposed of curbside by purchasing the appropriate tag at City Hall. To dispose, set the item curbside with tag plainly showing on your regular garbage day.  The Sanitation Department will return later to pick up the item.

Per tag costs are:

Loose items must be tied. Anything over 2 cubic yards requires a dumpster and will be charged the Dumpster pickup rates plus weight. No batteries or other hazardous materials will be picked up.