Trash Pickup & Regulations
Trash service, like sewer service, is a necessary municipal function that helps keep Osawatomie neighborhoods clean, healthy, and beautiful. Poorly managed or uncollected solid waste can cause significant health and environmental impact. It can clog drains, transmit disease, increase respiratory problems (such as from burning), harm animals that consume waste unknowingly, and affect economic development.
To guarantee that waste is regularly removed from all homes, whether residents remember to pay their trash bill or not, the Osawatomie City Council approved the refuse bill be added to the property tax bill for built residential properties.
The special assessment charge on the tax bill is for yearly service in the following year (i.e., what was paid in December 2020 pays for trash service in 2021). Along with this change in billing, we renegotiated our contract with Waste Management and obtained an additional community clean up day and new 95-gallon waste containers for every residence.
Trash and Recycling
- Recycling Pick Up Day: Wednesday
- Trash Pick Up Day: Thursday
- Trash and Recycling containers must be at their respective pickup locations by 6:00am on day of pickup
- Unlimited Recyclables
- Items should be placed loosely inside cart or other container; no plastic bags, please.
- Trash should be bagged and placed inside provided cart
- Extra bags, or bags that will not fit into the provided cart, require overage stickers (available for purchase through our Utilities Dept.)
Yard Waste
Free Forestry Disposal Site located to the northeast of the City water/power plant
- Open from dawn to dusk
- Accepted Items include grass, leaves, tree limbs, branches
- No household trash, scrap metal, or construction debris is permitted
Abuse of this service can result in operational changes, up to and including permanent closure of the site.
Bulky Item Pick Up
One bulky item can be placed at your collection site on the first regular trash pickup day of each month. View our Bulky Items page for more information.
Important Reminders
- ALL residential trash must be placed in the provided 95-gallon Waste Management cart. Waste Management will not collect loose items or un-stickered bags, or empty non-approved waste containers.
- For residential properties that require a supplemental waste container, Waste Management is able to rent a second 95-gallon cart for an additional $10 per month, contracted through WM directly. Private/personal cans will no longer be permitted for trash.
- As in previous years, residents are able to purchase overage stickers from the City of Osawatomie Utilities Department. These stickers must be placed in clear view on the additional bags in order for them to be picked up. Overage stickers are not applicable to bulky items, and bulky items should be reserved for the designated Bulky Item Pick-Up as indicated on the calendar.
- Any existing personal trash containers (non-Waste Management) may be used for recycling so long as they are clearly labeled as “RECYCLING.” There is no limit to the amount of recycling residents are able to set out and overage stickers are not required for excess recycling containers.
The goal of these changes is to help clean up our community and help enforce our existing solid waste ordinances. By ensuring that every built residential property has uniform trash service, we cut down on service issues, we enhance code enforcement, and we maintain high levels of neighborhood satisfaction and pride. Residents should notice a marked improvement in the health of their neighborhoods, especially along alleyways.
Businesses are still eligible for dumpster/commercial pickup service and are not effected by these recent changes.
Our “Trash Cart FAQ” has more information. If you still have questions, please call City Hall at 913-755-2146. We’d be glad to assist you.