Spring cleaning: Residents should plan for Large Item Pickup

The 2016 Spring Large Item Pickup will take place April 11-14.  Residents are encouraged to use this opportunity to dispose of large items that cannot be discarded through their weekly garbage service.  The Large Item Pickup map will appear in the Clear Lake Mirror Reporter on April 6, listing the dates the City will pick up in each area of the town and the items that will and will not be picked up.

To ensure an efficient Spring Large Item Pick-up, the City asks residents to follow these guidelines:

•All items must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on the designated day in each area and be from addresses within the City limits.  The City will not pick up in alleys.  Do not place items in garbage cans, cardboard boxes, or plastic garbage bags.  Items not picked up must be removed from the curb within 24 hours.

•Appliances are not collected free during City-wide clean-up.  City residents can have old appliances picked up during Large Item Pick-Up for a cost of $15 per item.  Stickers, which need to be affixed to the disposed appliance, can be purchased at Clear Lake City Hall, 15 N. 6th St.  Stickers are non-refundable.   Appliances requiring a sticker are:  furnaces, air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, stoves, washers, dryers, microwaves, copy machines, water heaters, florescent light fixtures, TV’s, computer monitors and printers.  Appliances should be intact for safe recovery of contaminates, except that doors should be removed from freezers and refrigerators.  The following items will not be picked up due to regulatory, environmental, or economic reasons:

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•E-Waste (electronics).  The Landfill of North Iowa has an electronic waste recycling program.  Landfill customers may drop off VCR’s, DVD players, stereo equipment, clock radios, gaming equipment, computer towers, mouses and keyboards, input devices, scanners, video and surveillance cameras, fax machines, and cordless phones for recycling at the e-cycling building adjacent to the Landfill’s south parking lot.  Many of the above items may be recycled free of charge.

•Yard waste (grass, leaves, and garden residue) and wood waste (brush, branches and tree limbs less than 6-inches in diameter).  These items may be taken to the City yard waste drop-off site and disposed of at no charge.

•Construction and demolition material (bricks, stones, concrete, concrete block or rubble, shingles, lumber, landscape timbers, siding, and drywall).  City crews will take small amounts of dimensional lumber and drywall, less than 4-feet in length and bundled (bundles less than 50-pounds).

•Liquids (motor oil, antifreeze, paint, and household chemicals).  Some service stations accept motor oil for recycling.  Empty paint cans will be accepted if the drivers can see that the paint is dried or absorbed with a substance like cat litter or saw dust.

•Hazardous/toxic materials (flammables, propane tanks, auto parts, tires, batteries, pesticides, explosives).  Auto parts should be taken to an auto salvage yard.  Propane tanks may be taken to area recyclers.  Call the Landfill of North Iowa at 641-357-5452 for information regarding hazardous substance disposal.

For information about the pick-up day for your area or items eligible for pick-up, call the Public Works Department at 357-6135, or City Hall at 357-5267.

The Spring Large Item Pick-Up is offered as a special service to Clear Lake residents only.  The public is asked to call the Police Department at 357-2186 to report anyone from outside the Clear Lake City limits unloading items.

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