• A yellow or orange sticker on your recycle cart lid identifies which week recycling is collected. 
• Recycle Calendar – Yellow/Orange Routes

Municipal code states collection carts are allowed at your curbside 12 hours before your collection date, and must be removed within 12 hours after your collection date.

• Wrapping paper: If it's paper and tears, it is recyclable
• Cardboard boxes are recyclable
• Ribbons, foil wrap and bows are NOT recyclable
• Hard plastic 'shells' and styrofoam are NOT recyclable 

• Put your recyclables inside the cart (loose, not bagged as plastic bags are not recyclable) 
• Close the cart lid.  This prevents the scattering of debris by wind and animals
• At curb no later than 7 a.m. on garbage day, no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before
• Place at curb on a level surface (no more than 18” from the street, or arms length)
• Cart should be at least 3 feet from all permanent structures. (other collection carts, yard bags or bundles, mailboxes, fences, wall, utility poles and other stationary items on the curb)
• Metal bar must face the street
• The lid must be closed.  Do not over fill the cart
• DO NOT place cart under low hanging tree branches
  

Paper

Newspaper, magazines, junk mail, shredded paper (in a paper bag), cardboard (flattened), paper and hard back books & phone books.

Food Cartons

Paper milk cartons, juice cartons, protein drink cartons, wine cartons, egg substitute cartons, soup & broth cartons.

Plastics

Plastic containers with twist-off lids, water bottles, soap bottles (rinsed), yogurt & margarine tubs (no lids).

Cans

Aluminum cans, tin cans, steel cans, bi-metal cans, jar lids, aerosol cans (empty).

Glass

All colors of glass food containers, beverage containers, non-food containers.

Please rinse all containers before recycling. Labels are okay!
Visit WhereItShouldGo.com for a full list of what's accepted in your recycling cart.

The following should be thrown away, not placed in your recycling cart

• Clothing of any type
• Appliances/furniture
• Pipes (PVC or metal)
• Light bulbs

Visit WhereItShouldGo.com for a full list of what's not accepted in your recycling cart.

Through the Gold Level Recycling Program for super recyclers! It only takes one cart of non-recyclable materials to ruin a whole truck load, causing your neighbors recycling efforts to be rejected at the recycling facility. One of the ways residents can help is to be a leader in their neighborhood by earning a gold lid for their recycling cart through the Gold Level Recycling Program. 

• To qualify, residents must recycle the correct items in blue recycle carts.
• To learn more about what can and cannot be recycled, check out the list of accepted and unaccepted items for your blue recycling cart.
• If you or someone you know believes you are recycling correctly and want to achieve Gold Level Super Recycler status, please complete this FORM to request a recycling audit.
• Once your request is received, a City of Des Moines recycling crew will check the contents of your cart on your next recycling day and determine if it qualifies to be part of the program.

• Recycling is included with your garbage collection services and is available to all residents.
• Recycle carts are free of charge and are available upon request.  
• For information on the program or to request a Recycle cart you may contact the Department of Public Works, 24-Hour Customer Service Center at (515) 283-4950 or you may request a cart online using our Recycle Request Form
  

• Eligibility Requirements for this Program are: 
• A physicians’ statement verifying a disability that prevents moving the collection carts to the curb
• No other member of the household is able to move the cart to the curb
• Application Process: 
• Contact the Department of Public Works, 24-Hour Customer Service Center at (515) 283-4950 to request an appointment to fill out application ( or)  complete a request for an appointment using our online form. (Appointments are made for your next garbage collection day)
• A City of Des Moines Department of Public Works Solid Waste Foreman will stop at your residence to explain program details, requirements and complete an application for each person living there. The Foreman will give you paperwork to be filled out by your Physician
• You will be placed on the route for non-curbside collection services when we receive the physician's paperwork

• Contact us at 515-283-4950 to report missed recycling collection (or) Recycle Request Form
  
• What you should know before you report a missed collection:
• Collection carts must be curbside at 7 a.m. on collection day
• Please assure this is the correct week for recycle collection
• Missed collections must be reported before 5 p.m. the day after collection
• Missed collections reported later than 5 p.m. the following day will be subject to a $25 collection fee (added to your monthly Des Moines Water Works bill)
• Recycle carts put out after 7 a.m. on collection day will be subject to a $25 collection fee