Solid Waste/Recycling Collection & Processing
The City of Cape Girardeau provides curbside trash and recycling service to more than 9,000 households each week. Residential customers are issued a 96-gallon, green recycling cart, and a 64-gallon, tan trash cart after signing up for services at the Customer Service Office. Smaller carts are available as outlined in the Trash & Recycling Handbook. Public Works operates a solid waste transfer station, drive-through recycling center, and manages the adopt-a-street program. Several options are also available for disposal of yard waste and bulky items that do not fit into your cart.
Effective Immediately - plastic shopping bags, garbage bags and newspaper sleeves are no longer accepted in our Single Stream Recycling Program due to changes in worldwide use of recyclable materials. Please see the recycling page for more information on acceptable items
The cart lid must be closed and the carts need to be 4 feet from the curb and any other obstructions in order to be picked up. More information on cart placement/pickup can be found in our handbook.
Special Needs Pick Up - No Additional Charge
If a resident is physically unable to take the carts to the curb they can apply for a Special Needs Pickup. This allows the truck driver to come onto the resident's property and transfer the cart from an easily accessible location to the truck, then return it when empty. To apply, the resident should contact us at (573) 339-6351 or download the required form. This form must be completed, signed by a physician, and returned to the public works office.
Neighborhood Cleanup
Nuisance Abatement Officers work out of the Police Department and handle both domestic and wildlife complaints, illegal parking, and inoperable/nuisance vehicles on public or private property. For complaints on trash, litter or prohibited items, pools and fences, weeds/grass, dangerous buildings or any other type of property violations contact the Inspections Division at 573-339-6327. You can also help keep Cape clean by enrolling your organization in our adopt-a-street program or just picking up litter as you see it.