Ames is mulling a curbside recycling program with plans to purchase nearly 15,000 bins as part of its new solid waste approach. The city will lean on recycling as they move away from the waste-to-energy method employed by the current Resource Recovery Center.
The city intends to聽construct a new聽Resource Recovery and Recycling聽campus along Freel Drive, just south of Lincoln Way, for about $16.7 million. The city hopes to begin construction in spring 2026 and begin operating the facility in the first half of 2027.
A residential curbside recycling program has been proposed to aid the city’s transition. The Ames City Council directed city staff to move forward with the pilot project and send out Request for Proposals (RFP) for potential recycling contractors. The council also allocated up to $20,000 to kickstart the recycling program.