MUSCATINE, Iowa – Collecting unwanted items left along the curb of many Muscatine streets as part of Spring Cleanup Week continues with Department of Public Works (DPW) personnel and crews from Solid Waste just past the halfway mark of the collection effort.
The annual Spring Cleanup Week was designed April 24-27 by the Muscatine City Council with residents permitted to place certain items along the curb on their regular refuse collection days to be picked up and disposed of by city staff. An unusually large amount of unwanted items has delayed the collection of those unwanted items.
DPW crews completed their collection efforts along the Tuesday refuse routes on Monday nearly a week late. City crews then began working the Wednesday refuse route and finished those collection efforts today (May 2). City crews began Thursday route pickups Wednesday afternoon.
City staff anticipate that collection efforts may take another week to complete, but added that efforts are being made to move as quickly as possible.
Refuse and recycling collection will continue their normal routes according to Solid Waste Manager Kristi Korpi while helping with spring cleanup efforts when possible.
Korpi would also like to remind residents that they are still able to take five electronic devices and up to eight car tires or small truck tires to the Recycling Center & Transfer Station FREE of charge for the next six days. Some items that are not permitted to be collected curbside have an orange sticker placed on them to inform the residents the items need to be taken to the Recycling Center & Transfer Station for disposal.
“This is a service that will be free to residents through noon on Saturday,” Korpi said. “After that there is a fee for disposal.”
The Transfer Station and Recycling Center is open 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday. Items brought to the Center through Saturday will not be charged a fee.
ADDITIONAL PICKUPS AVAILABLE
City of Muscatine and Fruitland residents that have refuse collection services from the city of Muscatine have three (3) large pick-ups per year at NO CHARGE. This includes such items as large furniture, extra bags of trash beyond the City of Muscatine’s issued carts, and miscellaneous items. There are some items that may not be collected due to the nature of materials such as drywall, flooring, fencing, etc.
Curbside pickup of large items such as chairs, couches, etc., can be arranged by phone at the Muscatine Recycling Center and Transfer Station (563-263-9689). Items are picked up on regular scheduled garbage collection days. Please call before 3:30 p.m. the day before your collection day to make arrangements for curbside pickup of large items.
Appliances, electronic waste, tires should be taken to the Recycling Center and Transfer Station for disposal. There is a fee charged for disposal of these items but that fee is waived up to noon on Saturday, May 5.