It’s Illegal to Throw These Things Away in Iowa

There are a lot of rules when it comes to trash. You may not give them much thought since it's so easy to pitch most things away, but there are a good number of rules and regulations.

If you look at your city-issued trash bin, it likely says "no yard waste", but beyond that, it doesn't really list off many no-nos. Don't let that fool you, there are plenty of items banned from Iowa landfills.

Get our free mobile app

While many of the banned items are uncommon for most of us, there are a few that you may not be aware is illegal to toss out. Let's explore those items.

The website Earth 911 breaks down what you cannot chuck in the trash (or dumpster since some of these items are pretty large).

• Asbestos
• Car batteries
• CRTs (A cathode-ray tube is used for picture projection in TVs and computer monitors)
• Liquid waste (think fats, oils or grease, or sewage)
• Medical waste (this would be items contaminated by blood or body fluids, including other potentially infectious materials. Needles would also fall under medical waste)
• Mercury
• Motor oil
• NiCad batteries (Nickel–cadmium batteries - these are usually rechargeable batteries. A spent alkaline battery can be thrown out)
• Tires
• Yard waste

Again, many of the above items aren't likely to pop up in your day-to-day life, but what about that day you need to dispose of an old computer monitor? There are many electronics recycling facilities in eastern Iowa - like the Linn County Solid Waste Agency and Black Hawk Waste Disposal, for example.