Junk removal in Des Moines, IA.

Des Moines, Iowa runs a Pay-As-You-Throw pink sticker system rather than a free bulk pickup program. Every bulk item or extra bag of trash requires a sticker purchased in advance, with appliances scheduled separately for $35 (seven $5 stickers). The system rewards households that recycle and reduce waste — if everything fits in your cart with the lid closed, no extra fees. Big stickers stack: a couch, a chair, and a coffee table from a living room cleanout each need their own $5 sticker. Des Moines uses a blue recycling cart while surrounding suburbs use green Curb It! carts — a common confusion when moving within the metro. This guide covers every option for Des Moines city residents, plus Central Iowa Metro Waste Authority resources.

Free and low-cost options at a glance

Des Moines is unusual among Midwest cities in charging per-item for bulk waste through a pink-sticker system. There’s no “routine free bulk pickup” here, but several free pathways still exist alongside the sticker program. Below are the options most residents qualify for.

The pink sticker system

Des Moines requires pink stickers for any trash placed outside the cart and for all bulk items. The system is straightforward once you know the categories:

Pink $1 Extra Trash Sticker — for bags or boxes outside the cart. Each item must fit within a 33-gallon bag or a 2′ × 2′ × 3′ box, weighing no more than 40 lbs each. One sticker per bag or box.

Pink $5 Large Item Sticker — for items too big for the cart: furniture, mattresses, large yard debris. One sticker per item, applied with the sticker facing the street. Curbside by 7:00 AM on your regular collection day.

Rolled carpet: One $5 sticker covers up to 5 rolls if tied together. Rolls must be no longer than 4 feet and 18 inches in diameter. Single rolls need one $1 sticker each.

Where to buy stickers: Available at select grocery stores (Hy-Vee, Fareway), pharmacies, hardware stores, and City of Des Moines public works locations. Also available online at mwatoday.com.

What stickers do NOT cover: Tires, vehicles or major auto parts, propane tanks, construction or demolition debris, hazardous waste. None of these are accepted in curbside collection regardless of sticker quantity.

Critical rule: All cart lids must be closed completely. Visible bags sticking out of the cart will be charged the $1 Extra Trash fee per bag — even if the lid is open by an inch. Place extra bags to either side of the landfill cart, not in front of it.

Appliance pickup ($35, by appointment)

Appliances require both stickers and a scheduled pickup — you can’t just put them at the curb on a regular collection day.

Cost: $35 total — that’s seven pink $5 Large Item Stickers attached to the appliance.

Schedule: Call (515) 283-4950 — available 24/7. Provide your address and the appliance type. The city collects appliances on the following Monday after scheduling.

Set-out: Properly stickered appliances at the curb by 7:00 AM on the scheduled Monday, with stickers facing the street.

Covered appliances:

· Refrigerators and freezers

· Washers and dryers

· Stoves and ranges

· Dishwashers

· Air conditioners and dehumidifiers

· Hot water heaters

Pro tip: If you’re replacing the appliance with a new one, retailer haul-away (Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy) is often cheaper than the $35 sticker fee — sometimes free with new delivery. Always ask the retailer before buying stickers.

Trash and recycling schedule

Des Moines provides weekly trash collection and bi-weekly recycling collection. Trash is picked up the same day each week; recycling is every other week on the same day. The recycling schedule is identified by a yellow or orange sticker on your blue cart lid.

How the colored weeks work:

· Yellow lid: recycling collected on yellow weeks per the city calendar

· Orange lid: recycling collected on orange weeks

· Calendars are mailed annually and posted at dsm.city

Set-out:

· By 7:00 AM on collection day, no earlier than 5:00 PM the day before

· Cart on a level surface, no more than 18 inches from the street

· At least 3 feet from all permanent structures (other carts, mailboxes, fences, utility poles)

· Cart lid must be closed (visible bags sticking out are charged extra)

Holiday delays: No collection on the holiday itself; service runs one day late for the rest of that week.

Find your collection day: Use the Show Me My House lookup tool at dsm.city, or call (515) 283-4950 (available 24/7).

Cardboard drop-off: The city operates a 24/7 cardboard recycling drop-off at 110 SE 6th Street. Break down boxes before placing in bins. Several Des Moines Public Library locations also have cardboard dumpsters.

Blue cart (city) vs. green cart (suburbs)

A common source of confusion when moving within the metro: City of Des Moines uses a blue recycling cart. Surrounding suburbs (West Des Moines, Urbandale, Ankeny, Clive, Windsor Heights, Pleasant Hill, Altoona, and others) use the green Curb It! cart from Metro Waste Authority. The same recycling rules apply to both, but the calendar is different.

City of Des Moines (blue cart): Managed by Des Moines Public Works. Yellow/orange week stickers identify your recycling schedule. Call (515) 283-4950 for service.

Curb It! suburbs (green cart): Managed by Metro Waste Authority. Black/green week stickers on cart lid. Call MWA at (515) 244-0021 or visit mwatoday.com.

If you moved from a suburb to the city or vice versa, your old recycling calendar will not work. Get a new calendar from your service provider.

HHW and Metro Waste Authority

Metro Waste Authority (MWA) operates HHW disposal for the Central Iowa region, including Des Moines and surrounding cities. Visit mwatoday.com for current collection event dates and accepted materials.

Standard accepted HHW: Paint, motor oil, batteries (lead-acid and lithium), pesticides, herbicides, fluorescent bulbs, fertilizers, solvents, automotive fluids, household cleaners, and electronics.

MWA offers free year-round HHW drop-off for Central Iowa residents at the MWA Regional Collection Center (Bondurant). Make an appointment via mwatoday.com.

Iowa e-waste: Iowa law covers TVs and computer monitors. These items can go to MWA HHW collection or Best Buy free recycling. Best Buy accepts most electronics free at customer service.

Auto parts stores (AutoZone, O’Reilly, Advance Auto Parts) accept used motor oil and lead-acid batteries free year-round.

PaintCare: Iowa has limited PaintCare coverage; check participating retailers via paintcare.org for paint drop-off.

Donation programs

· Salvation Army Des Moines — free pickup for usable furniture and large items. Schedule at satruck.org.

· Habitat for Humanity of Greater Des Moines ReStore — free pickup for qualifying donations of furniture, appliances, and building materials.

· Goodwill of Central Iowa — multiple Des Moines metro locations.

· Churches United (Furniture Bank of Greater Des Moines) — local furniture bank serving families in need; accepts gently used furniture donations to redistribute to people transitioning out of homelessness.

· Buy Nothing Des Moines groups (Facebook) — active in several neighborhoods.

Paid junk removal options

When city programs don’t fit your timing or item type, paid pickup is the alternative. Booking a paid LoadUp pickup also funds free Freemoval pickups for someone else through optional checkout round-ups.

What to do, by item type

Reporting illegal dumping in Des Moines

Call (515) 283-4950 (available 24/7) or submit a service request online at dsm.city. For Iowa state environmental violations, contact the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Active dumping in progress: call Des Moines Police non-emergency.

See our complete illegal dumping guide for Iowa state penalty information and reporting steps.

Common questions