Garbage Collection
All materials for collection must be within 5 feet of curb or alley before 4 a.m. on your scheduled day of collection.
Other regulations to remember:
Totes Required in 2018
Renewal of the City of Mandan’s garbage collection contract with Armstrong Sanitation for a 10-year period beginning in 2018 brought with it a requirement for the use of totes, or heavy-duty garbage containers with two wheels and a handle. Renewal of the contract for residential trash collection and hauling helps control costs with the monthly household fee increasing by only 5 cents annually for the next ten years. All service providers interested in Mandan’s garbage contract stated the use of totes would be a stipulation to prevent workforce injuries and allow automation, which in turns helps with hiring and retaining employees.
On Apr. 2, 2024, the Mandan City Commission approved the assignment of the Armstrong Sanitation contract to Eco Sanitation LLC. The contact phone number will remain the same. Any updates will be provided on this page.
The City of Mandan Public Works Department and Eco Sanitation LLC offer several reminders, updates and clarifications for residents about the introduction and use of totes for household garbage.
Getting started. Armstrong Sanitation delivered a designated tote with their logo on it to every household that receives curbside and alley garbage collection during the week of Nov. 13, 2017. Armstrong’s household tote charge to the City, as of Jan. 1, 2018, is 50 cents per month. This fee will be reflected in monthly utility bills that residents receive from the City. Many residents already rented a tote directly from Armstrong. These residents may keep their tote. Billing was to simply convert at the rate of 50 cents per month to their monthly utility statement from the City in 2018 rather than showing up on a separate bill from Armstrong.
Container size. The default tote size is 96 gallons. Residents have the option of requesting a 64-gallon size by calling Eco Sanitation at 701-663-8219.
Extra garbage. Households that consistently have more trash than what their tote can accommodate may purchase an additional tote at a fee of $125 per tote. There is a $18 delivery fee or residents can arrange to pick up the extra tote at Eco Sanitation's office. If the amount of garbage exceeds tote capacity only a few times a year, such as during Christmas, residents may find many items are recyclable and can be put in the recycling tote. Another option is to hold bagged trash back for the next week.
Container placement and upkeep. The provided tote for household garbage must be placed with wheels and handle facing the home within 5 feet of the curb or alley and ideally 5 feet away from obstructions such as vehicles, garbage containers, or retaining walls, mailboxes, utility poles and trees. Eco Sanitation LLC strongly suggests for those with street access, placing tote on the street (versus in the alley) for consistent service during the winter months. Eco Sanitation also suggests placing the regular household garbage container on one side of the driveway apron near the curb and the recycling container on the other side. If the Eco Sanitation driver deems a garbage container is too close to objects to safely be picked up, the garbage container will not be dumped. During winter months, if snow is not removed around the tote/dumpster on all sides of the container, the container may not be dumped.
Residents who currently place their garbage tote in the alley may continue to do so. Eco Sanitation can still pick them up in this location. Container lids may be secured with a bungee cord on days between pickups, but not on collection days as they interfere with the automated equipment.
Additional guidelines include keeping the totes in good condition. Each homeowner is responsible for the tote(s) he or she receives. Please note the number(s) on your container(s). If a tote is lost, Eco Sanitation will bill the resident for a $96 replacement fee.
Containers stay with homes. If a resident moves, the household garbage containers provided by Eco Sanitation need to stay at the home even if moving to another Mandan residence. Each container is assigned to a specific location with a serial number and global positioning system chip.
Sharing of containers. Residents in duplexes and multi-family buildings who would like to share a container with a neighbor may do so. Please call Eco Sanitation LLC, phone 663-8219, to have your extra container removed and the arrangement recorded. Note: Each residence will still be billed for the service.
Timeframe for containers to be out. Please place the container at the point of collection by 4 a.m. the day of collection and no earlier than 6 p.m. the day before collection. After collection, all containers should be returned to their place of storage no later than 10 p.m. the evening of collection day.
Bag or bundle. Please bag or bundle all materials placed in the household garbage totes. This is the opposite of the requirement for recycling, where plastic bags are one of the number one things to be avoided in recycling totes.
Other requirements. Any ashes should be placed in a separate box before placing in a tote, and removing lids from paint cans and allowing the paint to dry before placing the cans in totes.
Items not considered regular household trash and that won’t be picked up include deer hides, bones or wild game, building material, furniture items, carpet, tires, sod, rocks, dirt, sawdust, oil, batteries, appliances, liquids such as paint, grass, leaves, lawn clippings and branches.
Suggestions for existing garbage cans. Residents may wish to re-use existing garbage cans for other purposes such as to hold grass clippings, eliminating the cost of the large garbage bags that must be emptied and that are not allowed in the collection bins for grass clippings anyway.
If residents have unwanted garbage cans, they may dispose of them at the city landfill.