Storm Lake cleanup program hauls out 57 tons, council plans return

Storm Lake’s revamped citywide cleanup program sent 57 tons of unwanted items to the Buena Vista County Recycling Center, and the City Council voted unanimously to bring it back for 2026-27.

The city’s report to council counted 273 cleanup tickets during the seven-month window, with residents paying $15 apiece to haul bulky waste to the recycling center on their own schedule instead of waiting for a single curbside pickup day. The program handled 186 televisions, 90 appliances and 73 vehicle tires, and the recycling center’s charges totaled $8,020.80.

Public Works Program Manager Kim Bolster told council members the partnership with the recycling center was positive and cooperative, and that the transition to the new format was smooth.

The city’s current cleanup model was designed as a more flexible replacement for the older one-day pickup system. Tickets were available through City Hall and limited to two per household, while the Buena Vista County Recycling Center’s participation kept the program affordable. The setup also shifted more of the hauling burden to residents, who could make their own trips during the open window rather than relying on city crews to collect everything in one day.

Ticket sales for the 2026-27 cycle are scheduled to begin Sept. 1, 2026, and the cleanup will run through May 2027.

Storm Lake’s cleanup efforts have changed over more than 15 years, from curbside collection by city staff and inmates to a centralized drop-off system. The Buena Vista County/Harold Rowley Recycle Center opened in 1990 after Iowa’s 1989 Waste Reduction and Recycling Act required cities and counties to establish recycling programs.