Dubuque Times

The City of Dubuque Public Works Department will begin the citywide distribution of 35-gallon trash tipper carts on Monday, April 3, starting with Monday collection route customers.

The City of Dubuque Public Works Department will begin the citywide distribution of 35-gallon trash tipper carts on Monday, April 3, starting with Monday collection route customers.    

All customers who do not yet have a City-issued tipper cart will receive a cart.  Deliveries to Monday collection route customers will continue until all customers have received a cart, which is estimated to take 7-10 working days.  Information for customers on proper cart placement and more will be included with each cart. 

After all Monday customers have received a cart, deliveries to Tuesday collection route customers are estimated to begin around April 12. After all Tuesday route deliveries are completed, deliveries will continue to the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday customers.  Updates on the delivery schedule will be provided as deliveries to specific route days are completed.  

The City is switching to tipper carts to improve efficiency in curbside collections and enhance the safety for staff. “Becoming a full-cart city has so many great benefits, and we can’t wait to provide a quality City-issued trash cart to all our customers,” said Resource Management Supervisor Jake Jansen.  

Customers will not be charged for the carts beyond their monthly collection fee.  The City currently has one automated collection vehicle and plans to add two more this coming year with additional trucks to follow.  

Each delivered cart will contain instructions for proper use, and all carts will be marked with the assigned address on the lid. Carts should not be overfilled or material compacted within and the lid should be closed.  All trash placed in the cart must be in tied bags to prevent loose trash from blowing away and creating to litter during loading, transport, and landfilling.  

Additional set-out instructions for customers who receive carts include: 

• Place cart at curb or alley line by 6 a.m. on collection day. 
• The arrows on the lid should point toward the street/alley. 
• Place the cart two feet away from other containers and objects like parked cars, poles, trees, and mailboxes. 
• Do not overfill your cart. (If your cart is filled to capacity, place excess trash in a bag with a green extra trash sticker and place next to the cart.) 
• When snow is present, place the cart in a cleared, flat area.

Residents are encouraged to repurpose their old trash cans/containers whenever possible, like storage for yard and garden equipment, compost, rainwater collection, storage for pet supplies, sports equipment, or firewood. However, collection crews will dispose of empty containers at no charge if customers set them out on their normal collection day and they are marked with “TAKE.”

Customers who wish to have a larger cart than the standard 35-gallon cart are encouraged to choose the appropriate size for their needs now so they do not receive a 35-gallon cart when deliveries are made to their neighborhood.  Other cart options that cost more per month are: 48-gallon, 64-gallon, and 96-gallon. To “right-size” their trash cart, customers should visit  www.cityofdubuque.org/trashcollection to complete a short form that includes details for each cart size. Residents without internet access can also call 563-589-4250 to request a larger cart.  Those who request a cart larger than 35 gallons will receive it after July 1 when supplies become available, and they can continue to use their current trash container until the new cart is delivered. 

Original source can be found here.