Ames residents could be wheeling new recycling carts to the curb by this summer — but city leaders want more time to make sure the public understands what’s coming before they sign the deal.
The Ames City Council accepted a staff report Tuesday that recommended a five-year recycling collection contract and directed that final approval be placed on the council’s March 10 agenda.
The proposed contractor is Aspen Waste Systems of Iowa, an Ames-based company that scored highest among five firms that responded to the city’s request for proposals. If approved, Aspen would begin delivering 96-gallon recycling carts to about 13,731 homes in June, with every-other-week curbside pickup starting July 1.
Recyclables to be collected include mixed paper, cardboard, glass food and beverage containers, No. 1 and No. 2 plastics and metals. Collection trucks would be equipped with GPS and cameras to document any problems.
The monthly cost to residents would be $7.75, set to take effect July 1 when the program is fully operational. Residents who live in eligible homes can opt out, but they will still be assessed the monthly fee.
That’s because the contract requires Aspen to be paid for all eligible households whether or not they participate. Many of the city’s costs are fixed regardless of how many people put their cart out. Eligible homes include all single-family homes and multi-family properties containing up to four units.
Why delay approval?
The council’s delay in approving the contract was deliberate. The move gives residents a chance to learn the details of the program before the council makes it official, city staff said.
The contract is part of a larger shift in how Ames handles its waste. The city plans to stop using waste-to-energy processing and transition to a new Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus, (R3C), in early 2027. City officials say expanding recycling is key to keeping landfill costs down as the city phases out its current approach.
“This is a significant change in how recycling is conducted in the community,” City Manager Steve Schainker wrote in a council action form. “Staff believes it is important to provide the community an opportunity to understand the details of this proposed contract before the city council approves it.”
The first-year collection contract cost with Aspen is estimated at $659,088. At the end of the five-year contract, the carts would become city property and are built to work with standard industry equipment in case the city chooses a different hauler in the future.
How Aspen won the contract
Aspen beat out four other companies in a two-round evaluation process. Five vendors submitted proposals in January. Evaluators from the public works department and city manager’s office scored each company on qualifications, equipment, customer service and price. The three highest-scoring firms — Aspen, Ankeny Sanitation and Waste Management of Iowa — then went through in-person interviews.
Aspen stood out for several reasons beyond price, city staff said.
The company is the only finalist based in Ames, meaning problems like a missed pickup could be fixed within hours rather than waiting until the next day. Aspen also volunteered to offer house-side service at no extra charge for customers with mobility issues — drivers would walk the cart to the truck and return it to the house. And Aspen’s per-customer monthly fee is the lowest among the five bidders and stays the lowest throughout all five years of the contract.
In the first year of the contract, trucks will take collected materials to a recycling facility in Des Moines. Once R3C opens, it will be the destination.
