FAQs • River Falls, WI • CivicEngage

I don't recycle. I should get a break.: Everyone should recycle. It's the law and there is no itemized charge for recycling. If you don't recycle, you should pay more. Waste Management is able to sell recyclable materials whereas they need to pay to dump garbage in a landfill. Paying to dispose of materials that could be recycled and sold makes no sense. Furthermore, if you don't recycle, you will likely find your container inadequate and have to pay additional for garbage tags.

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Garbage

Contact Waste Management Customer Service at:

2. What time do I need to put my garbage out?: Garbage and recycling must be placed at the curbside (or alleyside) by 6 a.m. on the designated collection day. Garbage pick up times can vary week to week. Just because your garbage is "normally" picked up at 10:00 a.m. does not mean that you can wait till 9 a.m. to put your garbage out. If the Hauler abides by the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. pick up window, they are not obligated to pick-up garbage and recycling that was not curbside (or alleyside) when they arrive for collection.

There are a number of reasons why the City of River Falls has chosen to contract for residential garbage collection though one hauler including:

It is a sustainable practice reducing fuel consumption, pollution, and unnecessary damage to roads.
It makes our neighborhoods cleaner, safer and quieter with less unnecessary truck traffic.
Garbage trucks are the single biggest contributor to deterioration of our local neighborhood streets. Having one company's garbage truck travel down each city street rather than have four or more different garbage companies trucks drive down every street saves taxpayer money spent on road repair and maintenance.
We know who to contact if there is a litter problem associated with garbage pickup.
The monthly rate contracted for by the City is lower than would be obtained by individuals contracting for service. Talk to you friends in the surrounding townships and ask them what their monthly rate is. It only makes sense. It is most efficient for one hauler to pick up from each and every home in neighborhood rather than having to skip one that would be pickup up by another hauler.

4. Some weeks I don't even put out garbage, can I get a refund?: No, the garbage hauler still needs to make their rounds past your house. Tracking weekly collections from each and every address would likely add more administrative cost than it would save in pickup costs.

5. I don't recycle. I should get a break.: Everyone should recycle. It's the law and there is no itemized charge for recycling. If you don't recycle, you should pay more. Waste Management is able to sell recyclable materials whereas they need to pay to dump garbage in a landfill. Paying to dispose of materials that could be recycled and sold makes no sense. Furthermore, if you don't recycle, you will likely find your container inadequate and have to pay additional for garbage tags.