Cedar Rapids to offer larger selection of garbage cart sizes

CEDAR RAPIDS — The city of Cedar Rapids will soon provide residents more ways to dispose of their waste by offering a broader mix of garbage cart sizes.

The city next year will implement a variable cart program, through which residents can order from one of three cart sizes: 35 gallons, 65 gallons or 95 gallons. Monthly costs will increase in tandem with cart size.

The change will “enhance efficiency and safety for the (Cedar Rapids Solid Waste & Recycling) division … and meet our residents’ diverse waste needs,” said division manager Patricia Hall. “As we know, a 35-gallon cart works for some within the city, but (not all).”

At present, residents can only use 35-gallon carts. Any additional trash must be put in bags atop or next to the bin for collection with a clearly visible “extra garbage” tag purchased from area retailers in partnership with the city.

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Hall said that system has several issues, however, with some residents instead placing excess trash in other curbside bins meant for recyclables or yard waste. Other times extra bags are tagged and set out correctly but then torn into by animals, leading to an increase in litter.

City staff have also heard complaints from residents that the tag system is inconvenient because they must be purchased in advance at one of a select few retailers.

“People will be getting ready for work. They’re setting their cart out at 6:30 in the morning and realizing ‘Oh man, I forgot to buy a tag,’ and that (causes) some frustration,” Hall said.

The new system will mean residents who regularly produce more than 35 gallons of waste can order larger carts to avoid the hassle of the tags and the risk of on-street litter.

It also will decrease the frequency with which solid waste staff need to exit their vehicles to manually throw trash into the back of the garbage truck — increasing efficiency and decreasing the risk of lift-related injuries. The current trucks also will be able to pick up the larger bins without any alterations.

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Upstart costs associated with the program are roughly $1.1 million, as outlined in the division’s current budget. The city is expected to ultimately recover that cost thanks to the increased monthly fees for the larger bins.

The goal is not that people will create more trash once given larger carts, but that the trash they’re already generating will be disposed of in a correct, clean manner.

“I think it makes a lot of sense,” said District 2 council member Scott Overland during a recent meeting. I drive around on trash day “and a lot of (the 35-gallon) carts are bursting at the seams and you have to think that a lot of that ends up on the ground.”

Depending on how frequently a household is buying tags for excess trash, it’s possible that moving to a larger cart would be the most-cost effective option.

The monthly cost for the 35-gallon cart is expected to be $9.54 while the cost for the 65 and 95 gallon carts will be $15.54 and $18.54 per month, respectively. Those rates will require approval from the Cedar Rapids City Council this winter before being finalized.

The division will not be getting rid of the tag system altogether, so the tags will still be available for residents who find it the most convenient option or who use it infrequently enough that a larger cart size would be unnecessary.

The city expects to open an online request portal for the larger cart sizes in early 2026. A more exact timeline will be released in the coming months as city staff finalize the program details.

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