Back in mid-March, the Cedar Rapids Solid Waste and Recycling Division made the decision to alter some of their collection procedures in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. They did this to ensure the safety of their employees and lower the risk of being exposed to the virus. We are happy to report that everything will return to normal as of today, May 11th! According to CBS 2:

"The division has secured necessary protective equipment to allow operators to safely collect all refuse. By Monday, May 11, collection for all regular garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulky/special haul items will have resumed."

Let's start with garbage collection. Previously, it was requested that any extra garbage bags (with the garbage sticker) would have to be placed on top of your GARBY cart. Any that didn't fit on top of the cart would have to wait until the next collection period. Now things are returning to normal, so you're being asked to set the first extra bag on top of your GARBY, with any additional bags placed three-feet away on the ground.

In terms of recycling, extra recycling boxes are now allowed again. Those boxes should be 2ft by 3ft by 2ft and also placed on the ground three feet away from your CURBY bin. And, it's important to note that glass collection is resuming today. All that's being asked is that you try to limit your glass to one bucket a week (no bigger than five gallons).

Bulky item and special haul collection started up again at the end of April, but CBS 2 reports that crews are booked for the next two weeks, so you will have to be patient with your requests.

And finally, extra yard waste can be collected again (but not in lawn or leaf bags). The article says:

"If you have more yard waste than will fit in your YARDY cart, you may once again separate brush into 2ft by 3ft bundles that way less than 40 pounds. The maximum diameter for branches is 5 inches. Use biodegradable twine to bundle, and set on the ground, three feet away from YARDY for collection."

For more details on solid waste and recycling within the city of Cedar Rapids, click HERE!

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