Year-round curbside collection program providing beneficial service to City

The city’s bulky waste pickup has been a huge success.

The City of Muscatine implemented the Bulky Waste Collection Program in 2020 as a replacement for the annual Spring Cleanup Week and as an enhancement to the already established curbside waste pickup program.

Curbside bulky waste collection was previously offered to Muscatine and Fruitland residents for free three times a year, and a massive collection effort was staged in late April with a designated Spring Cleanup Week.

The current program eliminates Spring Cleanup Week and permits unlimited free curbside bulky waste collection throughout the calendar year from Muscatine and Fruitland residential refuse customers. Residents are limited to having two appliances collected free of charge per calendar year, however, with the Solid Waste Division picking up additional appliances for a fee that must be paid before collection.

The Curbside Bulky Waste Collection program has saved the city money and has, for the most part, eliminated the unsightly, oversized, and potentially hazardous piles of bulky waste that were normally seen throughout Muscatine prior to and during Spring Cleanup Week.

“The cleanup week collection required assistance from multiple divisions and the use of temporary workers,” Brian Stineman, Public Works Director, said. “And it took away resources that should have been used for roadway maintenance projects.”

In the past the City used 13 full time employees, nine temporary employees, and 14 pieces of equipment from the Department of Public Works along with eight full time employees, 17 temporary employees, and eight pieces of equipment from the Solid Waste Division to complete the collections during the designated Spring Cleanup Week.

“Going to a program where we schedule pickups on a resident’s regular refuse collection day allows us to limit the workload to just two employees and one piece of equipment,” David Popp, Solid Waste Manager, said. “Having residents call in to schedule pickups makes better use of our time and of residents’ time.”

Residents wanting a curbside bulky waste collection will need to call 563-264-JUNK (563-264-5865) or email the Muscatine Transfer Station at bulkywaste@muscatineiowa.gov to schedule a pickup on the residents refuse collection day.

Please call by 3:30 p.m. at least two (2) days before your regular refuse collection day to schedule a curbside bulk waste pickup.

“If you call in and get the answering machine we will call you back,” Jennifer Calcott, Transfer Station clerk, said. “If you email us, we will call you. We are making every effort to talk with anyone who calls in to review the rules and set up a collection day. The most important thing for the public is to remember that you need to call in at least two business days ahead of your collection day to be put on the schedule.”

If residents have a large amount of bulky waste items they would like collected by the City, multiple pickups can be scheduled to keep the piles to a more manageable size for both the resident and City staff.

Once a pickup is scheduled with the City, residents will be permitted to place the unwanted items curbside the night before their regular refuse collection day or by 5:00 a.m. on the collection day.

Popp noted that scavengers are a problem when setting out bulky waste in terms of creating a bigger mess for his staff to clean up and in terms of creating hazards in the taking apart of appliances and other items in the boulevard. Pieces of scavenged material such as nuts, bolts, and pieces of glass create hazards not only for the City workers but also for the residents.

“We may not see all the little pieces that the scavengers leave behind and that could create a hazard for the resident and their family,” Popp said.

Residents could also clean up the bulky waste themselves and haul the material to the Transfer Station where they would be charged a tipping floor fee.

A link to the Bulky Waste Collection page on the City of Muscatine website is located in the upper right half of the main page. You can also visit the Solid Waste Division page or visit the Transfer Station page for more information.