Garbage & Recycling

Garbage

For the Christmas/New Year's Holiday:

When do I put my garbage out this week?

For the Christmas holiday week, if your pick-up day is Tuesday (for residential, that is the west side of the river), your refuse pick-up day does not change.

If your pick-up day is Wednesday (for residential, that is the east side of the river), your pick-up day will be Friday, December 26^th.

If your pick-up day is Thursday (for some businesses) refuse will be picked up on Friday, December 26^th.

For the week with the New Year’s holiday, only those businesses with a Thursday collection day will be affected. It will be picked up on Friday, January 2^nd.

Normal garbage pick-up day	Christmas 2025 pick-up	New Year’s 2025/26
Tuesdays (west side of the river for residential customers)	No change	No change (no change for recycling pick-up either)
Wednesdays (east side of the river for residential customers)	Friday, December 26th	No change (no change for recycling pick-up either)
Thursdays (for some business)	Friday, December 26th	Friday, January 2nd

 

What container does wrapping and packaging refuse go?

Carboard	Recycling tote
Wrapping paper (color or dyed)	Garbage tote (placed in your regular garbage bag)
Wrapping paper (plain paper, newspaper, or brown craft paper)	Recycling tote
Wrapping paper tubes	Recycling tote
Gift bags	Garbage tote in bags
Styrofoam	Garbage tote in bags
Plastic wrapping or plastic air pillows	Garbage tote in bags
Bubble wrap	Garbage tote in bags
Christmas lights	Garbage tote in bags

 

 

(as of October 1, 2025)

Residential and Light Commercial Refuse/Recycling Customer:

Each residential customer receives two totes for each address – the green one is for garbage/refuse and the blue one is for recycling. The top of the tote has labels that indicates the use of the tote.

If you have questions please don’t hesitate to call City Hall at (563) 245-2098 or email celkader@alpinecom.net or elkaderadmin@alpinecom.net.

REFUSE – Green tote

• All refuse for dwelling units must be placed at the curbside (or in the alley where applicable) in the approved 65-gallon tote provided by Hawkeye Sanitation.
• Each tote has a number that assigns it to an address. The totes stay at the property if you move.
• All refuse inside the tote must be in some type of refuse bag.
• Totes are considered full when garbage is to the top with the lid shut.
• Extra garbage on top of or around totes will not be picked up unless it is in a customer purchased Hawkeye Sanitation collection bag. These are available at City Hall (hours are M-F from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) for $5.
• If an extra tote is needed, the resident will pay for a second service. The resident will be required to keep the extra tote for a minimum of six months.
• Totes for the storage of refuse awaiting collection shall be placed curbside, with the front of the tote, where the lid of the tote opens, facing towards the street/collection point.
• Totes must be placed at least three (3) feet away from any other object including other totes.
• Six (6) foot spacing is preferred when possible.
• Preferred placement of totes, where possible, is no more than one tote on each side of a driveway.

• Totes shall not be placed at the collection point more than twelve (12) hours in advance of the regularly scheduled collection day and shall be promptly removed from the collection point following collection.
• Hawkeye Sanitation will not be considered to be in breach of this agreement for failure to collect refuse from any customer who has not followed the instructions.
• Hawkeye Sanitation is not responsible for the collection of any yard waste.

 RECYCLING – Blue tote

•  All residential recycling shall be comingled and shall not be separated using paper sacks or plastic bags or other means.
• All food containers must be cleaned.
• The following are accepted: plastic #1 and #2 only; cardboard; paper; tin and aluminum.

CURBSIDE RATES FOR BULKY WASTE (2024 rates): sofa - $20; hide-a-bed - $35; recliner - $10; small chair - $5; mattress - $10; box spring - $10; toilet - $7.50; storm door - $30.

Call either Hawkeye Sanitation (800-858-1138) or City Hall (563-245-2098) to let them know you have a bulky waste item. You will be billed directly by Hawkeye Sanitation.

Items not picked up with garbage include cardboard, sharps, tires, TVs, appliances, yard waste, batteries, paint, oil, Freon containers, toxic or poisonous materials, computers, wire, fence posts, bricks, iron, cement chunks, animal carcasses, and fertilizer.

Charges for additional items: couch-$20; hide-a-bed or recliner couch-$35; recliner-$10, small chair-$5; mattress and/or box spring-$10 each; toilet-$7.50; storm door-$10; water softener (empty salt)-$35; humidifier-$15. Extra garbage assess by driver: household-$38.50/cubic yard; construction-$48.50/cubic yard; shingles-$8.50/cubic yard.

Large items may also be dropped off behind the County Secondary Roads facility at 519 High Street NE.  Charges apply.

The garbage for residential and most light commercial customers is picked up each week. Pickup west of the river on Tuesdays. Pickup east of the river on Wednesdays. Recycling is picked up on garbage days per the Elkader Recycling 2025 Hawkeye version. Refuse for Downtown light commercial customers is picked up M-F.

Heavy Commercial Refuse/Recycling Customer:

The City Council signed a new contract with Hawkeye Sanitation as of January 1, 2024. This contract provides:

• Through December 31, 2025, heavy commercial customers may contract with Hawkeye Sanitation but are not required to.
• All fees shall be directly negotiated by and between Hawkeye Sanitation and the customer.
• On and after January 1, 2026 Hawkeye Sanitation will have exclusive right and obligation to collect heavy commercial customers’ refuse and cardboard.
• The City will be responsible for the billing and collection of fees for heavy commercial customers. Those charges will appear on your monthly utility bill (water and sewer).

If you changed companies and need to make arrangements with Hawkeye for dumpster service again, Hawkeye Sanitation can be reached at (800) 858-1138.