FAQ

Q: What is the schedule for garbage/recycle pick up for residents of local cities?

  • For your city's garbage/recycling pick up schedule, please click here.

Q: I am a rural resident with pick-up through Van's Sanitation, what is my scheduled day?

  • Rural customer schedules vary; however, most are on a 4 week cycle. If you have questions about what your rural schedule is, please contact the office at 712-548-4644 or 888-548-4651.

Q: What if my garbage/recycle pick up day is a holiday?

  • IF YOU ARE A CITY RESIDENT: There will be no collection on a designated holiday (see bottom of page for designated holidays). All collections will be moved back one day following the holiday. (If the holiday falls on a Monday, normal Monday collection will occur on Tuesday; Tuesday collection will occur on Wednesday, Wednesday collection will occur on Thursday, and Thursday collection will occur on Friday.) Normal pick up will resume the following Monday.

  • IF YOU ARE A RURAL CUSTOMER: If you are a rural customer with a metal dumpster, we will get your dumpster emptied at some point during the week to keep you on schedule (usually the day before/after the holiday). If you have a trash tote that you put out for pickup, we will get those the day after the holiday. Please remember if you have a trash tote, your tote needs to be put out the night before for pickup the next day.

Q: What materials CAN be recycled?

  • Paper - Dry, clean paper products; such as newspapers, computer paper, magazines, mixed paper, junk mail, wrapping paper at Christmas time, etc.
  • Tin Cans - Emptied and rinsed cans, caps, lids, and foil; such as food/beverage cans, hair spray cans, food spray in a can (PAM). Leaving labels on is acceptable
  • Plastics - Rinsed plastic with lids removed; such as clear and colored plastics with #1,2,3,4,5, 6 & 7 stamped on bottom, milk and soap jugs, food/beverage containers, household cleaning bottles. If your plastic has a symbol of 1-7 on it, it is okay to place in recycle. NO PLASTIC BAGS OF ANY KIND, NO CHIP BAGS, NO CEREAL BAGS, ETC. You will notice on a lot of packaging that the recycle symbol shows whether it is recycle or not.
  • Cardboards - Clean cardboard without excessive food residue. Examples would be tissue boxes, food and beverage boxes (cake mix boxes, cereal boxes, laundry detergent boxes, etc.)

Materials do not need to be separated when using blue recycling totes
Bags are not required when using the blue recycle totes
There is no need to remove labels or bands from cans and bottles
Clean only enough to prevent odors

Q: What materials CANNOT be recycled?

  • NO PLASTIC BAGS (TRASH BAGS, SHOPPING BAGS, STORE BAGS, ETC) AND NO CLOTHING/SHOES CAN BE PLACED IN RECYCLE TOTES. THESE ITEMS, ALONG WITH GLASS, STYROFOAM, GARBAGE, DIAPERS, FOOD WASTE, ETC WOULD BE PLACED IN YOUR TRASH TOTES. THESE ITEMS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN BLUE RECYCLE TOTES.

  • Glass should NOT be put into your blue recycle totes.
  • Do not recycle containers with traces of hazardous materials, glass, excessive food waste or other dirty stained materials, and Styrofoam. These items should be put out with your regular trash.

Q: How can Businesses and Rural Households Recycle?

  • Van's Sanitation, 1553 18th Street SW, Le Mars - containers are labeled with what can be placed in each of them
  • Le Mars - Parking Lot behind Fire Station No. 1 (Hardware Hank parking lot)
  • Brunsville – SE of Elevator
  • Craig – NW of Town Hall
  • Kingsley – Between Hardware and Grocery Store
  • Oyens – West of Post Office
  • Struble – Maintenance Shed

Q: How do I dispose of Hazardous Waste Materials?

  • This includes, but is not limited to, paints/thinners, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, batteries, fertilizer, fuels/oils. Please contact the Plymouth County Landfill (546-6071) on how to dispose of such items.

Q: How do I dispose of tires?

  • Tires must be individually hauled to the Plymouth County Landfill site at the residential household’s expense.

Q: How can I dispose of appliances and larger items?

  • Appliances and larger items can be taken to the Plymouth County Landfill during regular operating hours for a fee, which will be charged on your City Utility Bill. Some items may require a $10/per item demanufacturing charge - items included are air conditioners, microwaves, washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, fluorescent lights, hot water heaters, furnaces, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, ranges, ovens, trash compactors and other cooling units.

Q: What about yard waste removal?

  • Van's Sanitation offers weekly residential yard waste removal for a per season fee (April 1 through November 30). This includes a once-a-week pickup on your garbage/recycle day of grass, leaves, garden waste and tiny twigs, in a green Van's Sanitation, Inc. 90 gallon tote. This does not include large branches or twigs. Feel free to stop by the office, give us a call, OR fill out the Request Service form on this website if you are interested in having yard waste pick up or click here for yardwaste pick-up guidelines.

Q: Is there anywhere I can go with yard waste, branches, twigs, etc?

  • The City of Le Mars offers a yard waste drop off site at no additional charge located at the Riverview Ball Complex off Hwy 3 West. The site is open every Saturday from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, April 1 through November 30. No plastic bags allowed. Trees, brush and yard waste must be separated and piled in the proper area of the drop off site.
  • If you are not able to get to the yard waste drop off site, you can take yard waste to the Plymouth County Landfill during regular operating hours for a fee that will be charged on your City Utility Bill.