Metro Park East Landfill

Metro Park East Landfill sits just off NE University Ave in Mitchellville and handles the kind of household and farm trash that comes from around here. Big trucks and small pickups both show up; it’s the kind of place farmers and homeowners use when regular curb pickup won’t do. You’ll see it’s a large site with rolling dirt mounds and a scale house near the entrance.

Pull up to a staffed booth and be directed toward the scale - tipping is typically charged by weight at this type of facility, so expect to stop coming and going. After the scale, there’s usually a clear route to the active dumping area; larger commercial rigs use wider lanes and staging spots. The property looks like working dirt piles and compacted cells rather than neat rows of bins, and recycling containers (if available) tend to sit off to one side. Lines can form on weekends and during spring fieldwork, so plan for a short wait at busy times.