The Ankeny Brief
Thanksgiving week is the next delay. We worked out these dates from Ankeny Sanitation's written rule: a holiday on a weekday puts crews a day behind, and a holiday on a weekend changes nothing. The company usually posts each notice a week or more ahead, so check its news page before trusting our calendar.
Pickups before the holiday stay put. Last Thanksgiving, Ankeny Sanitation closed Thursday, restarted Friday a day behind, and finished Friday's routes on Saturday. A Monday holiday moves everything: Monday's route runs Tuesday, Tuesday's runs Wednesday, on through Saturday. And when July 4 landed on a Saturday in 2026, the company ran its regular schedule all week.
Anything off your hauler's holiday list. Ankeny Sanitation observes six: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has posted no-change notices for Easter weekend and Presidents' Day, and Veterans Day isn't on its list either. If this week has none of the six on a weekday, your cart goes out on its normal day.
The one on your bill. Ankeny has no city-run garbage service: each household signs up with a private hauler, and that company sets your day, your rates and your holiday schedule. The city lists five for residents:
We could only confirm Ankeny Sanitation's holiday rule in writing, so if you use one of the other four, call or check your account (WM customers have My WM). New to town? Our trash and recycling guide explains how the hauler system works.
Ankeny Sanitation posts every holiday change on its news page. Its office, at 7002 SE Delaware Ave., answers 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. When a holiday shifts things, we also flag it in the weekly Brief.
By 6 a.m. on the shifted day, or the night before. On Memorial Day week, for example, a Monday customer sets out for Tuesday. Ankeny Sanitation wants the cart no more than 2 feet from the street, handle and wheels toward the house, and at least 4 feet from your mailbox or anything else in the way. Bulky items take a call first, and it won't take anything over 6 feet long.
Ask separately, because each runs on its own track. Recycling is Metro Waste Authority's Curb It! program: every other week, with the schedule printed on your cart lid and a 6 a.m. set-out. We didn't find a holiday calendar for it, so call Metro Waste Authority at 515-244-0021 if a holiday lands on your week. Yard waste can't ride with trash. Ankeny Sanitation picks it up Wednesday and Thursday in Ankeny with prior notice, and the city runs Leaf Collection Days each October and November.
The Ankeny Brief is a free weekly email: city-service reminders, what's happening, deals, and events. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Trash & recycling · Setting up utilities · Fireworks rules · All guides
Only if one of the six big holidays falls on a weekday on or before your pickup day: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Otherwise your pickup is on its normal day. Ankeny has no city trash service, so always confirm with your own hauler.
If you're with Ankeny Sanitation, only late in the week. Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Based on the company's rule and last year's notice, Monday through Wednesday routes run as usual, Thursday's route runs Friday and Friday's route runs Saturday.
One day. Routes on and after the holiday shift back a day, so Friday's route runs Saturday. Routes earlier in the week don't move.
Ankeny Sanitation says it runs a normal schedule when a holiday lands on a Saturday or Sunday. That's what happened on July 4, 2026, a Saturday.
Ankeny doesn't run its own garbage collection. Residents sign up with a private hauler. The city lists Ankeny Sanitation (515-964-5229), Aspen Waste Systems (515-974-1400), Garbage Guys (515-707-3866), Waste Connections of Iowa (515-265-7374) and Waste Management of Iowa (515-265-5267).
Check your hauler's website or account, or call. Ankeny Sanitation posts holiday changes on the news page at ankenysanitation.com and keeps office hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Free, every Monday 7 AM
Everything new in Ankeny this week, in one email. No spam, unsubscribe any time.