The Waukee Brief

The local's guide · City services

Waukee trash & recycling: city pickup, your carts, and how to find your day.

Good news for new Waukee residents: unlike some metro suburbs where you have to shop for your own garbage company, the city handles trash and recycling for you. Here's how it works - who actually drives the truck, what's on your bill, and the rules that keep your cart from getting skipped.

The quick version

Waukee has city curbside pickup - garbage and recycling are provided by the City of Waukee and billed on your monthly utility statement. The routes are run under contract by Ankeny Sanitation (ASI) (missed pickup: 515-964-5229). You get a 96-gallon garbage cart and a yellow-lidded recycling cart, collected weekly. Carts out by 7 a.m., lid opening toward the street.

The part new residents get wrong

Does the City of Waukee pick up trash?

Yes. The City of Waukee provides curbside garbage and recycling to single-family homes, and the fee is bundled onto your monthly city utility bill alongside water and sewer - so there's no separate hauler to shop for. The city contracts the actual collection to Ankeny Sanitation (ASI), who run the routes Monday through Friday. One caveat: if you live in a townhome, apartment, or other multi-family building, your property may arrange its own private collection, so the city schedule may not apply to you.

Who runs Waukee's collection, and who do I call?

City of Waukee solid waste collection is provided under contract by Ankeny Sanitation (ASI). For a missed or skipped pickup, call ASI directly. For billing, or to start or stop service when you move, contact City of Waukee Utilities.

Ankeny Sanitation (ASI) · missed pickup / collection515-964-5229
City of Waukee Utilities · billing, start/stop service515-978-5502

The garbage and recycling fee appears on your monthly City of Waukee utility bill - check the city's Garbage & Recycling page for the current rate.

Your carts

Garbage and recycling carts

Residents get a heavy-duty 96-gallon wheeled garbage cart (a 65-gallon option is available if you'd like a smaller one). Recycling is single-stream in a separate 96-gallon cart with a yellow lid, emptied on the same weekly schedule as your garbage.

Garbage cart · 65-gallon option available96 gal
Recycling cart · yellow lid, single-stream96 gal
Set-out time · lid opening toward the streetby 7 a.m.
What goes in the recycling cart

Single-stream means everything goes in together: plastics, paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass, and shredded paper. The city's rule of thumb for anything questionable is simple - "when in doubt, throw it out" - because one bad item can contaminate a whole load. The full accepted-items list is on the city's Garbage & Recycling page.

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The details

Yard waste, holidays & bulky items

Yard waste · biodegradable bags/containers, 40-lb limitMondays, Apr-Nov
Holiday weeks · e.g. the week of Labor Daydelayed one day
Bulky items & appliances · furniture, tires, big loadsSpring Clean-Up / MWA
Hazardous waste · paint, chemicals, electronicsMetro Waste Authority

Yard waste is collected curbside on Mondays, April through November, for city/ASI garbage customers, using biodegradable bags or reusable containers (40-pound limit). Items that don't belong in the carts - bulky furniture, appliances, tires, construction debris - can often be dropped for free during the city's annual Spring Clean-Up Week, or taken to Metro Waste Authority year-round. Watch waukee.org and the Brief for clean-up dates.

Quick answers

Waukee trash: FAQ

I just moved in and there's no cart - what do I do?

Set up service through City of Waukee Utilities at 515-978-5502; the city arranges cart delivery through the hauler. If a cart is missing from a home that should already have one, ASI at 515-964-5229 can help.

My trash wasn't collected - who do I call?

Call Ankeny Sanitation (ASI) at 515-964-5229 for a missed or skipped pickup. For anything on your bill, call City of Waukee Utilities.

Why was pickup a day late this week?

During a week with a holiday, collection is typically pushed back one day. For example, the week of Labor Day, pickup runs a day behind its normal schedule.

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Sources: City of Waukee - Garbage & Recycling, Yard Waste, and Spring Clean-Up Week pages (waukee.org); Ankeny Sanitation (ASI) contact number; Metro Waste Authority for bulky and hazardous drop-off. Rates, carts, and schedules change - confirm current details with the city and your collection day with ASI.