SW Iowa Times

Waste Connections is the current vendor for the City of Council Bluffs recycling and solid waste collection services. With several years of experience in Council Bluffs, they will execute the new operation and focus on the customers while being able to retain the same drivers and management staff who have a familiarity with the customer base. The services provided will be upgraded to reflect industry standards via automated collection.

The City of Council Bluffs aims to provide efficient and cost-effective services. Drivers can make approximately 60% more stops per hour with an automated truck improving efficiency, reducing our carbon footprint, and lessening wear and tear on our roads. Additional benefits of automated recycling and solid waste collection include reducing work-related injuries, decreasing employee turnover, easy-to-move carts on wheels, cleaner neighborhood streets, and uniformity of carts.

Nearly 40,000 new carts have been delivered to Council Bluffs residents in preparation for the new services. To provide automated collection services, Waste Connections is purchasing a new fleet of garbage and recycling trucks, and the City will provide each household with a new 96-gallon recycling cart and a new 96-gallon garbage cart. Only new carts can be used for collection. Other carts and cans will not be collected.

Waste Connections is hosting a recycling event for anyone wishing to recycle their old containers. To recycle old garbage and recycling containers, residents can drop them off at the designated area in the north parking lot of Horseshoe Casino between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. the week of July 10 - 16, 2023. For landfill disposal, set empty containers on the curb with weekly garbage during the weeks of August 7 - 18, 2023.

Yard waste can now be combined with garbage year-round in the 96-gallon garbage cart (black lid). Yard waste includes grass clippings, garden waste, leaves, branches, limbs, shrubs, and flowers. Residents can set out additional paper yard waste bags and bundled brush and branches during peak times (April 15 - May 31 and October 15 - November 30) on the resident's regular collection day.

Recycling collection occurs every other week, and the schedule can be found on the WasteConnect app or at cbrecycles.com. Recycling is single-stream, so there is no need to sort recyclables. All acceptable recyclables can go in the same 96-gallon recycling cart (blue lid). To help limit contamination, rinse food and drink containers. Glass is no longer accepted curbside. Residents can recycle glass at the Council Bluffs Recycling Center or the drop-off containers around town.

New carts must be used for collection. All materials must fit in the cart with the lid closed; bags placed outside the cart without appropriate bag tags will not be collected. Residents wanting a smaller cart can select a 48-gallon garbage or recycling cart. One size change is allowed per year. Changes to cart sizes can be made after October 1, 2023, via the WasteConnect app or by calling (712) 890-5549. There are no cost savings for smaller carts. Additional 96-gallon recycling carts (blue lid) are available for $60 per year, and additional 96-gallon (black lid) carts are available for $120 per year. To order, call Waste Connections or use the WasteConnect app. Carts are property of the City of Council Bluffs. Each cart is numbered and registered to the address where it was delivered. If moving, please leave the carts for the next resident.

Residents should place carts and materials within five feet of the traveled roadway by 7 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. Leave three feet between carts and other objects. Do not place under low-hanging branches or other overhead obstructions. There are no set times for collection. Garbage, recycling, and yard waste set out after 7 a.m. may not be collected. For more info, visit cbrecycles.com.

Council Bluffs City Council approved a monthly rate increase of $1 for solid waste collection, and the approved rate adjustment begins in July 2023. The new solid waste rate is $21 monthly and is billed quarterly. Residents can sign up for e-bills and set up recurring solid waste payments by clicking "Online Payments" at councilbluffs-ia.gov. Anyone with questions about their bill should call the City of Council Bluffs Treasurer at 712-890-5316.

Additional garbage and recycling service information can be found at www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/2240/Garbage-and-Recycling-Collection. 

Original source can be found here.