Sanitation / Solid Waste Department

Alma started it's own solid waste pickup service in January 2013 with the goal of keeping costs low to the citizens.
 
When a Holiday falls on Monday, Monday and Tuesday pickup days will be pushed back one day.
 
When a Holiday falls on Tuesday pickup will be pushed back one day.
 
Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving will be pickup as usual.
 
Many businesses in the Alma city limits use large dumpsters, called 450 gal containers, which are over 4 times bigger than a normal residential toter. At present there are 51 of the large dumpsters inside the city limits.
 
 
CITY OF ALMA SANITATION DISPOSAL GUIDELINES
 
PLEASE FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE RULES TO ENSURE THE PROPER COLLECTION OF YOUR GARBAGE:
 
Please bag and tie trash bags shut to help prevent blowing litter.
 
Place your trash toter in the proper street-facing direction (this is clearly marked on the toter) at the curb.
 
The truck’s grip arm may be unable to reach your container if it is too far away from the street. Please position it very close to the street curb.
 
Containers must be at least three feet (3’) away from obstacles such as parked cars, light poles or mail boxes. Our driver is very careful but we do not want to accidentally damage property while emptying a container with the truck’s grip arm.
 
Customers having two toters should place their containers approximately three feet (3’) apart.
 
Yard waste such as grass clippings, leaves, branches, and garden materials should not be placed in your container. All containers having said items will not be emptied until yard waste is removed.
 
Never place hot or cold ashes, cinders, coals, or other burning materials into your container.
 
Items such as building and construction debris, steel, iron, dirt, rocks, bricks, concrete, and wire, or any hazardous materials such as paint, chemicals, oil, etc. will not be accepted.
 
Please have your toter placed AT THE CURB the night before or 7:00am the morning of pickup as the truck may not be able to service your container the same time each week due to unforeseen reasons such as weather or mechanical problems.
 
All trash needs to be placed inside of the trash container. Trash may not be sticking out above the container. If you have larger items please call the City Office to schedule an additional pick up. You will be charged for the “extra trash.” Continued “extra trash” will require a 2nd toter.
 
Remember to RECYCLE! Recycling trailers are located on South Street. Acceptable items to recycle are: cardboard, newsprint, milk jugs (rinsed with cap and ring removed), aluminum, tin, and #1 and #2 plastics. Plastic bags are NOT recyclable. (It's not that used plastic bags, wraps and film can't be recycled into new materials – they simply require a different collection system and processing equipment than many curbside recycling programs provide. So please don't put plastic bags/wraps/film in the bin.)
 
With the exception of any commercial business or commercial premise located in the downtown commercial district, Zone C-1, no person shall accept from any other person any of such other person’s disposable solid waste to be commingled with and disposed of as a part of the accepting person’s solid waste. All solid waste which is to be picked up by the City of Alma or its contractor for each residence and for each commercial, institutional, or governmental building shall be only the solid waste which is generated at the site and shall not include any items left for disposal by any other person.
 
Property owners or their lessees in the downtown commercial district, Zone C-1, may share solid waste receptacles by mutual agreement between property owners or their lessees and the City of Alma. If property owners or their lessees decide to share receptacles, they must notify the City of Alma in writing. Charges for a shared receptacle will be divided among the solid waste customers in accordance with the City’s fee schedule for the size of receptacle used; however, charges will not be less than the cost of service for the smallest solid waste receptacle offered by the City for each customer. The City of Alma must approve the use of one receptacle by more than one customer. All receptacles in the downtown commercial district will be located in the alley or location approved by the City of Alma.