Frequently Asked Questions

• Drop off locations are listed below. These are free sites available to the public (no commercial use allowed) and are open 24/7
  • Fitzgerald Stadium on Sheridan Lake Rd
  • Rapid City Landfill on Hwy 79
  • ​Corner of Anamosa Street and Nickel Street 
• How can I pay my bill online?
  • ​There are instructions here to get your online account set up. 
• Can I use my utility bill to get a free dump when using the landfill?
  • ​YES! If you bring in a hard copy of your utility bill (the one that you receive in the mail) to prove that you have city garbage service, you can dump up to 1000lbs for free. You can bring in any bill from the last twelve months too, it doesn't have to be the current one!
  • Unfortunately, electronic bills will not qualify for the free dump.
• Can I still dump at your site if I am not a resident/don't have a utility bill?
  • ​Absolutely!! We are a regional facility so we get people using our landfill from a hundred miles away. You are more than welcome if you are not a resident of Rapid City. If you are not a resident or do not have a utility bill, you will just have to pay by weight. The average truck load is about $25. See our rate page for more details. 
• Why did my trash not get picked up?
  • Was your can out by 7am?
  • Was it four feet away from any objects? Mailboxes, vehicles, any buildings/garages or utility poles? 
  • ​Did you have prohibited items in your trash can?
    • Construction debris, tires, yard waste, or special waste (liquid waste, hazardous waste, infectious waste, and any other waste requiring special handling)
  • Is there a large crack in your container? Sometimes that prohibits the trash from falling out because the bags will catch on the sharp edges. You can email [email protected] and request a new one, or give us a call at 605-355-3496​
  • Was your trash haystacked? Could your lid close completely? We are a volume based system so what you throw away has to fit in your can with the lid closed. This also prevents animals from getting in your container.​

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• What do I do with paint?​
  • ​Paint and other household chemicals can be mixed with cat litter, dirt, or sawdust until solid which can be disposed of in your garbage. Latex paint and Oil based paint must be solidified before disposal. If you can remove the paint from the container after solidified, place it in the trash and then recycle the paint can. If you cannot remove the paint, place the can with dried paint into the trash can.
• What do I do with propane tanks?
  • ​Contact the company that you got the propane tank from. If they don't have a take back program, then you can recycle the tank but it needs to have the valves removed and there needs to be a hole in the tank. These must be brought straight out to the landfill. All of our trash goes through a grinder, and if the tank does not have a hole then there is a possibility of an explosion. 
• Can I schedule an extra pickup this week?
  • ​We do have a $25 go back fee. If you'd like to schedule an extra pickup, please call 605-355-3496. The can must be loaded and ready to go, our drivers cannot get out and load bags that are on the ground.
  • You can utilize the upper portion of your City utility bill to dump up to 1000 pounds per month out at the landfill at no cost.
• Do I need to bag my recyclables?
  • ​YES PLEASE. Due to the wind in this area, cans tip over quite often. If your recyclables aren't bagged and your can tips over, all of it's contents are going to blow around causing litter, and you are responsible for picking all of that up. Another issue is that when they are getting dumped into the truck, they can bounce out or not make it inside causing litter again. 
• What should I do with my yard waste bags? 
  • ​Curbside yard waste collection starts in Spring and ends at the end of November (check annual curbside yard waste collection end date*). It must be in a biodegradable yard waste bag. Another option is to take your yard waste to any of the drop off locations during these months as well. Drop off locations are located at the Fitzgerald Stadium on Sheridan Lake Rd, on the corner of Nickel St and Anamosa St, and then the Rapid City Landfill entrance on Hwy 79. The landfill accepts yard waste year round for FREE. 
  • Prohibited items in yard waste bags are rocks, dirt, and sod. 
• Why was my can not completely emptied?
  • ​When trash cans get really full, they can compact and bags become stuck inside the container. Make sure that the bags aren't shoved down in the can! When the truck arms pick it up and turn it upside down, if all of the bags don't free fall out it is not the driver's responsibility. If your container is cracked, those sharp edges might also be catching the bags.
• Can I put cardboard in my recycling can?
  • ​Unfortunately, we do not accept cardboard in curbside recycling. When the cardboard is inside of the truck with the rest of the recyclables, it doesn't stay clean enough to recycle it. You can always drop cardboard off at any of the drop off locations that we have!
  • We only recycle corrugated cardboard! Not shiny paperboard. No cereal boxes, diaper boxes, soda cases, etc.
• Did your can get tipped over?
  • ​Residents are responsible for cans that are tipped over. The drivers can't stop to pick it up. If any trash was loose and has fallen out of the can it is the resident's responsibility to pick it up. Make sure that all of your trash is bagged and tied!
• What should I do with batteries?
  • Car batteries
    • These cannot be thrown away curbside. They are accepted out here at the landfill for disposal at no cost.
    • You can also take them to Ace Steel & Recycling, Batteries Plus, Interstate Battery, Runnings, O'Reilly's, or NAPA. 
  • Household batteries
    • ​You can recycle batteries at Best Buy, Batteries Plus, Chris Supply, Interstate Battery, the Rapid City Public Library, and Lowes.
  • Lithium batteries
    • ​These CANNOT be thrown away in your garbage can or the recycling can - they will start a fire whether it's in your garbage can or inside of our garbage truck or at our facility. They must be recycled at Interstate Battery (for no charge).
• For a complete list of solid waste city ordinances, click here

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