The Ankeny Brief
Every new Ankeny resident hits the same confusing wall: you go looking for the city's trash schedule… and there isn't one. Here's what's actually going on - why garbage here works differently than most cities, who to call, and how recycling is handled separately.
Ankeny has no city garbage pickup - it's a subscription system, so you pick and pay a private hauler yourself (Aspen, Waste Connections, WM, or Ankeny Sanitation), and they set your trash day. Recycling is different: it's run area-wide by Metro Waste Authority's Curb It program, every other week. Carts out by 5 a.m.
Unlike Des Moines and many suburbs, the City of Ankeny does not provide garbage collection. Instead, Ankeny uses a subscription (open-hauler) model: every household signs up individually with a private trash company and pays that company directly. It's why your neighbor's cans might go out on a different day than yours, and why there's no single number at City Hall to call about a missed pickup - you call your hauler.
These private companies provide residential garbage service in Ankeny. Call one to start service; they'll tell you your collection day and drop off a cart.
Availability and pricing vary by neighborhood - it's worth a couple of quick quotes. Some HOAs or townhome associations arrange one hauler for the whole street.
Recycling is coordinated area-wide, by Metro Waste Authority (MWA) through its Curb It program. You get a 96-gallon cart, and an automated truck empties it every other week. Your day and which week (A or B) depend on your address - and routes do change (a batch of Ankeny routes shifted in late 2024), so look yours up rather than guessing.
Look up your address on the Metro Waste Authority Curb It schedule, or download the Curb It app for reminders. Questions: MWA at 515-244-0021. What goes in the cart (and the surprising stuff that doesn't) is on the same site.
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The city occasionally runs a seasonal community cleanup for larger debris - watch ankenyiowa.gov and the Brief for those dates.
Pick a hauler from the list above and call to start service; they'll deliver a cart and give you your day. For recycling, MWA's cart usually stays with the house - if it's missing, call MWA at 515-244-0021.
Because you may use different haulers. In a subscription system, each company runs its own routes and days.
For garbage, your private hauler. For recycling, Metro Waste Authority. There's no city garbage line.
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