Garbage Collection

Solid Waste Department

The Solid Waste Department for the City of Spearfish includes the garbage collection for residential and commercial customers as well as the Restricted Use Site (Rubble Site).

Collection Unit

The collection unit has 3 full-time employees who cover over 3900 residential and commercial accounts Monday through Friday. 

In order to continue to make our system operate efficiently and to abide by state mandates, please follow the regulations listed below:

• Place your container at the designated pickup location by 7:00 a.m. Pickup times will vary week to week. Please note the arrows on top of the lid. Customers are responsible for placing the container in the pickup location.
• Excess bagged garbage on the ground will not be picked up unless prior arrangements have been made with the Utility Office.
• Please flatten cardboard. Small amounts of cardboard are allowed in your container. Large amounts can be taken for recycling to the Restricted Use Site (RUS ) for free.
• Garbage placed in container must be bagged and tied.
• Garbage must be inside container. Stacked bags of garbage make emptying the container very difficult and may result in spilled bags. The driver is not responsible for removing the spilled garbage. Please contact us if you need a larger or second container. 
• The Solid Waste Department will only empty City issued containers. 
• Place container away from mailboxes, vehicles, trees, etcetera so the truck has enough space to empty the container.
• During snow removal, place can on street side of snow berm.
• If the container is stored outside, it shall be kept so as to protect the container and its contents from animals.
• Users are responsible for picking up garbage from their tipped containers.
• All automated collection containers have an identification number. The City suggests residents make note of this number in case the container is misplaced. Customers are responsible for maintaining and tracking their containers. 
• It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit garbage in a container that is not issued to him or her by the city. Any person convicted of violating this section shall be fined not less than $25 and the current container fee.

Please view the Solid Waste Collection Policy for more information.

Items Not Allowed in City Issued Containers

• Yard waste - Grass and leaves can be taken to the RUS for free.
• Branches
• Construction materials