Clear the boxes after a move, delivery or busy week. Book empty boxes individually, bundles of 10 flattened boxes, or securely bound cardboard bales with loading-dock access.
The new furniture is in place. The deliveries are opened. Choose the cardboard you have and get the space back, without turning a stack of boxes into a guessing game.
Pick the right unit.
A loose box, a ten-box bundle and a compacted bale have separate prices.
Only book what is there.
Add bundles, leftover boxes and other items to one order.
Get confirmation it is cleared.
Follow pickup updates and photos after collection.
Boxes, bundles and bales are three different things.
A bundle is ten flattened boxes. A bale is mechanically compacted cardboard, securely strapped together and staged at an accessible loading dock.
Loose empty boxes.
Count each empty box as one item. Remove contents, plastic packing and foam. This choice is for the cardboard box itself.
Bundles of 10.
Flatten ten empty boxes and tie them into one bundle. Twenty-three boxes? Choose two ten-box bundles and three loose boxes. Count each box once.
Compacted bales.
Choose small for 50–150 lb, medium for 151–300 lb or large for 301–500 lb. Every bale must be securely bound and accessible from a loading dock. Unknown weight, no dock or over 500 lb? Ask our team first.
Cardboard pickup prices in Cape Girardeau
First item / additional item
Empty cardboard box$59 / $5
10 flattened cardboard boxes$79 / $20
Small cardboard bale$99 / $30
Medium cardboard bale$129 / $60
Large cardboard bale$175 / $100
The highest first-item price applies once. Every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Applicable sales tax is shown before payment.
Remove the contents and packing material. Set aside filled household boxes and add them as separate items if they are also going.
2
Count boxes or confirm bale weight.
Tie each ten-box bundle together. For compacted bales, use the actual weight to choose the correct option.
3
Prepare the right access.
Loose boxes and bundles need an accessible outdoor spot. Bales need a loading dock; keep them securely bound and tell us about dock access before pickup.
You’re in the loop. Until it’s gone.
Confirmation when you book. A heads-up before arrival. Photos when it’s done.
Cardboard, paper and metal go in the green cart as one sort-free stream, and glass bottles and jars go to one of the City's drop-off points because glass is not collected at the curb.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Curbside recycling is part of the residential solid waste service, and the City Recycling Center at 2007 Southern Expressway accepts recyclable material free of charge.
When & how
Once a week on the route day with the recycling cart out by six in the morning, or at the drive-through Recycling Center Monday to Friday from seven thirty to four.
Get it ready
Put corrugated cardboard, gray board and chipboard such as soda, cereal and frozen pizza boxes, newspaper, magazines, catalogs, junk mail and paper, aluminum, steel and tin, and rinsed plastic containers in the recycling cart loose, because recyclables in a bag of any kind are refused. Keep garbage bags, newspaper sleeves and plastic shopping bags, plastic wrap, pet food bags, pesticide containers, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, PLA plastic, number six plastic, foam, clothing, hoses, hardcover books, photographs, paper towels, tissues, take-out containers, wood and yard waste out of the cart. Glass bottles and jars go to the drop-off points instead, rinsed with lids, caps and metal rings removed, and broken glass, window panes, automobile glass, china and glassware are not accepted anywhere.
All trash goes in the tan cart with the lid shut and everything inside, and recyclables go in the dark green cart loose, because a bag of any kind inside the recycling cart is refused. Place the cart within four feet of the curb or the edge of the roadway and keep four feet of clearance from other carts, mailboxes, fire hydrants, low branches and parked cars. Carts go out by six in the morning and not more than twelve hours ahead of collection, and they come back off the curb the same day.
Glass and electronics each have their own drop-off
Glass is not collected in the recycling cart, so bottles and jars go to one of the City's drop-off points: Fire Station 1 on South Sprigg Street, Fire Station 2 on South Mount Auburn Road, Fire Station 3 on North Sprigg Street, the Public Works drop-off at 2007 Southern Expressway, the Osage Center on North Kingshighway or the A.C. Brase Arena on Kiwanis Drive. Rinse the containers and remove lids, caps and rings, and leave broken glass, window panes, automobile glass, china and glassware out. Computers and most small electronics are free at the Recycling Center on weekdays, but a television or CRT monitor is not accepted there and goes to the transfer station instead.
Use a permitted, accessible outdoor spot. Arrange the move out of your home, keep shared access clear and follow your confirmation’s readiness instructions. Check with your building about access or staging limits before booking.
City of Cape Girardeau Public Works Solid Waste Division
Drop off at the City Recycling Center
A household with cardboard, single stream recyclables, computers and small electronics, small yard waste or used motor oil.
Cost & conditions
No charge. The Recycling Center at 2007 Southern Expressway accepts recyclable material, the listed electronics, small yard waste and used motor oil free of charge.
Arrange it
Drive through the center at 2007 Southern Expressway on a weekday between seven thirty and four, use the cardboard, glass and single stream bins, and bring used motor oil to the southeast corner of the Public Works building between eight and three thirty on a weekday.
The center does not accept garbage bags, newspaper sleeves or plastic shopping bags of any kind, and televisions, CRT monitors, smoke detectors, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, chemicals, hazardous material, thermostats and alkaline batteries are refused there. Used oil has to be strictly motor oil or the listed fluids with no solvent, water, gasoline or antifreeze mixed in, no commercial oil is accepted, and the drop-off requires signing a log sheet.
Drive-through recycling, electronics and yard waste drop-off
City of Cape Girardeau Recycling Center
2007 Southern Expressway, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703
Cardboard, glass and single stream recyclables in drive-through bins, the listed electronics such as computers, non-CRT flat screen monitors, printers, keyboards, laptops, hard drives, cell phones, speakers, VCR and DVD players, fax machines, answering machines, stereos and microwaves, small yard waste such as leaves and twigs a quarter inch or smaller, and used motor oil, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, differential oil and kerosene brought to the southeast corner of the Public Works building.
Garbage bags, newspaper sleeves and plastic shopping bags of any kind are not accepted. Televisions, CRT monitors, smoke detectors, glass lamps, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, chemicals, hazardous material, thermostats and alkaline batteries are refused. Used oil has to be strictly motor oil or the listed fluids with nothing mixed in, no commercial oil is taken, and the drop-off requires signing a log sheet.
Recycling Center Monday to Friday seven thirty to four. Used motor oil and fluids Monday to Friday eight to three thirty. Telephone (573) 339-6351.
No charge. Recyclable material, the listed electronics, small yard waste and the accepted used fluids are taken free of charge.
Selected customer reviews. Counts checked September 2026.
Before you book
A few things worth knowing.
Cardboard pickup, from choosing your item to pickup day in Cape Girardeau.
How much does cardboard pickup cost?+
One empty box is $59 first and $5 additional. A bundle of 10 flattened boxes is $79 first and $20 additional. Small, medium and large compacted bales have separate weight-based choices shown above.
What are the cardboard bale weight limits?+
Small is 50–150 lb, medium is 151–300 lb and large is 301–500 lb. Each bale must stay securely bound and be ready at an accessible loading dock. Contact our team about unknown weights, larger bales or a location without dock access.
Can the boxes still have things inside?+
Empty-cardboard pricing covers the cardboard itself. Use Filled household box for boxed household contents. Remove plastic, foam and other packing materials from empty boxes before collection.
Can I put cardboard in my regular recycling instead?+
Check your local provider’s cardboard rules, including flattening, container limits and collection days. EPA recommends keeping paper products clean and dry. Dropcurb provides a separately booked pickup; a specific recycling facility or recycling outcome is not guaranteed by this booking.
Can I arrange same-day pickup?+
Book by 2pm in the pickup address’s local time for same-day pickup. Checkout shows the available dates for your address. Your booking is for a pickup day, rather than an exact arrival window. We send updates and photos after collection.
Where should I put my items?+
Use an accessible outdoor spot you are allowed to use, and follow the instructions in your confirmation. Keep sidewalks, entrances and vehicle access clear. You arrange any indoor carrying. For a loading dock or a short building access window, confirm the setup with our team before booking.
Where does glass go in Cape Girardeau?+
To a drop-off point, because glass is not collected in the recycling cart. The City lists Fire Station 1 on South Sprigg Street, Fire Station 2 on South Mount Auburn Road, Fire Station 3 on North Sprigg Street, the Public Works drop-off at 2007 Southern Expressway, the Osage Center on North Kingshighway and the A.C. Brase Arena on Kiwanis Drive. Only bottles and jars are accepted, rinsed, with lids and rings removed.Official guidance
Can I put recyclables in a bag in Cape Girardeau?+
No. Recyclables are refused if they are placed in a bag of any kind inside the recycling cart, and plastic shopping bags, garbage bags and newspaper sleeves are no longer accepted in the single stream program at all. Those bags go in the tan trash cart with the other non-recyclable material.Official guidance
Who collects trash in Cape Girardeau?+
The City does, through the Public Works Solid Waste Division, which issues a tan trash cart and a dark green recycling cart to each residential customer and collects both weekly on the address's route day. Public Works answers questions on (573) 339-6351, and the department also runs the Recycling Center and the Transfer Station.Official guidance
How do I find my Cape Girardeau collection day?+
Each residential customer has one trash and one recycling collection day a week, and the City publishes a route map for the days. Call Public Works on (573) 339-6351 if the map is unclear, and sign up for city service updates to hear about schedule changes before the truck runs.Official guidance
One less thing on your list
Make room for the rest of your day.
Choose the right items and quantities, review your exact total and book your pickup. We keep you updated and send photos afterward.
