Love Where You Live: IndeCleanup
Find Curbside Bulky Item Pickup, neighborhood drop-offs, volunteer cleanup projects and other IndeCleanup services happening Sept. 27–Oct. 4 across Independence.
One week. One city. A lot of good.
Starting Sept. 27, neighbors across Independence are coming together to clean streets, beautify parks, help residents clear unwanted bulky items, and take care of the place we call home.
Clean Streets: Volunteer crews can help with litter cleanup along major corridors
Cared for Parks: Working alongside MU Extension Master Gardeners, volunteers can help with landscaping and litter cleanup at our parks and public spaces.
Proud Neighborhoods: Residents, businesses, nonprofits, churches, civic organizations, and City employees are all contributing what they can to build pride for our neighborhoods.
Si necesita esta información en español, por favor haga clic en el botón en la parte inferior de la página web.
Give a few hoursJoin a cleanup crew at a street, park or public space near you. |
Clear the clutterUse curbside bulky-item pickup or one of our drop-off events. |
Help your neighborsLearn about neighborhood cleanup resources and assistance. |
Bring your teamBusinesses, churches, nonprofits and community groups can volunteer, donate, or help spread the word. |
What we're doing together
Our goal is to build a sustainable tradition that combines City resources with the people who want to help make Independence better.
This fall, the City is launching a new community cleanup initiative that brings together residents, volunteers, community organizations, and City resources.
Held in conjunction with Missouri Good Neighbor Week: September 27 - October 4, we'll focus those efforts in two ways: helping residents in neighborhoods clean up their properties and mobilizing volunteers to tackle litter, weeds, and other cleanup needs along designated corridors and City parks.
This is the first step in what we hope becomes a larger effort to clean, beautify, and invest in neighborhoods and public spaces across Independence.
Find a project near you
Bulky Item Pick-Up Service
Need to get rid of a couch, appliance, or other large household item? Independence will offer a one-time free bulky item pickup by appointment for single-family homes and apartments with six or fewer units.
Each appointment is limited to 5 bulky items. Pickup spots are limited.
Registration through Sept. 24, or until pickup capacity is reached.
What Can I Put Out?
Click here to see the full list of prohibited items.
See "What You Need to Know" below for instructions on preparing certain items for collection.
Schedule Your Pickup: Reserve a pickup slot using our online Bulky Pickup form or by contacting 816-325-7602.
When making your reservation, list every item you plan to set out. Items not listed will not be collected.
Note: You must schedule an appointment before placing items at the curb. You will receive a confirmation email with more details before your collection day.
What You Need to Know about Bulky Pick-Up
Placement: Place your scheduled items within 3 feet of the curb.
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No earlier than 5 p.m. the day before collection.
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No later than 7 a.m. on collection day.
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At least 4 feet away from trash and recycling carts.
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Away from trees, mailboxes, lamp posts, parked vehicles, and other obstacles.
Note: You must schedule an appointment before placing items at the curb. You will receive a confirmation email with more details before your collection day.
Household Furniture & Decor:
- Carpet must be rolled up and over 4 ft long (~1.5 meters) or 40 lbs (18 kg) to qualify; smaller pieces go in regular trash.
- Furniture and fixtures should be dry, clean, and easy for crews to reach.
- Do not remove drawers from furniture.
Miscellaneous Oversized Items:
- Metal fencing and swing sets: disassemble before pickup.
- Storm windows and glass panes: mark with a large “X” of masking tape and stack separately from other items.
- Cools air or food (fridge, freezer, AC)
- Check labels for R-22, R-134a, R-410A, or Freon
- If unsure, mention it when scheduling
Please review your confirmation email. It contains contact information for City staff in case of an issue with your bulky item pickup.
If your items were not collected, it may be because the items did not meet the set-out rules.
- Too Large or Too Many: You put out more than 5 items, or they were not on the approved list.
- Blocked: Items were blocked by cars, fences, trees, or not at the curb.
- Hard to Reach: Items were placed in positions that crews could not reach.
- Contamination or Prohibited Items: Items mixed with trash or include paint, tires, yard waste, auto parts, loose building materials, masonry, or household hazardous waste.
- Appliance Issues: Appliances were not emptied, cleaned, or contained refrigerant.
Neighborhood Drop-offs
With input from City Council and staff, locations were selected to bring additional cleanup resources directly into neighborhoods during IndeCleanup Week. Temporary neighborhood dumpsters will be placed at three locations across Independence from 8 AM to 3 PM, and nearby residents will receive information from Neighborhood Services before the event.
While the dumpsters will be located in three neighborhoods, all Independence residents may use any of the locations at no charge with proof of residency. Dumpsters are for eligible household items only.
Click here to see the full list of items. See "What You Need to Know" below for instructions on preparing certain items for drop-off.
Residents are responsible for transporting and unloading their items at drop-off depot locations.
What Neighborhoods Need to Know
The door tag is just to let you know about targeted resources that will be close to your home in the coming weeks.
View the information above to see Drop-off and Collection dates and times so you can utilize free resources to dispose of trash, bulky items, and more.
Yes, please bring a valid driver's license or a recent utility bill.
Neighborhood drop-off dumpsters are free to all Independence residents. Please bring proof of residency.
Residents are responsible for transporting and unloading their items at drop-off depot locations.
City Council identified areas with recurring cleanup concerns and, with staff assistance, selected the neighborhoods.
Reach out to your City Councilmember and ask that your neighborhood be considered for a future cleanup weekend.
There is no set limit for typical household cleanup. However, this program is intended to help Independence residents dispose of household items—not business, commercial or demolition waste. Staff may refuse loads that fall outside the program's intent. Please review the accepted and prohibited items above before you arrive.
Household Furniture & Decor:
- Carpet must be rolled up and over 4 ft long (~1.5 meters) or 40 lbs (18 kg) to qualify; smaller pieces go in regular trash.
- Furniture and fixtures should be dry, clean, and easily accessible to crews.
- Do not remove drawers from furniture.
Miscellaneous Oversized Items:
- Metal fencing and swing sets: disassemble before pickup.
- Storm windows and glass panes: mark with a large “X” of masking tape and stack separately from other items.
Reminder: No small piles of items, bags, or boxes, and no loose or scattered materials, including household bags of trash.
Volunteer Corridor & Park Cleanup
You don't have to live in a designated neighborhood to participate in IndeCleanup.
We're looking for residents, families, businesses, neighborhood groups, and community organizations to donate or help clean designated corridors and parks across Independence from Sept. 27 - Oct. 4.
Ready to help?
Sign up as an individual or group, choose what you want to do, and we’ll take care of the rest.
What Volunteers Need to Know - Corridor Cleanup
After you sign up, you'll receive a follow-up email from the City with information about your assigned location, helpful tips, what you will be doing, and contact information.
The City will provide gloves, bags, and safety vests.
What to wear:
- Wear closed-toe shoes
- Pants
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Bug spray and sunscreen
- Provided city materials, including gloves and safety vests
Ideas for what to bring:
- Hand sanitizer
- Water bottles
- Snacks
- Grabbers or other tools that will help you in cleanup efforts
** Please no headphones or earbuds. For more safety information, review our volunteer safety checklist.
You must be 14 years old to participate. All children must be accompanied by an adult chaperone, and no more than eight children per adult.
Absolutely, just sign up using our volunteer forms.
- Tie filled bags shut on the curb, off the sidewalk, roadway, and driveways
- Please do not overfill the bags; keep them under 50 lbs
- Place large debris, shopping carts, or illegal signs that cannot fit into a bag next to the bags.
- If working in a park, place the filled bags next to a park trash can.
- If working along the trail and stream, place the bags next to the trash can at the nearest trailhead.
- Please do not leave bags along the trail.
A designated parking area will be included in most location assignment emails.
If not:
- Please park vehicles in legal parking spaces off the roadside and not on the shoulder.
- Do not obstruct traffic.
- Do not park in a business lot during their hours of operation without permission.
See the impact we've made together
This section will be updated with details, photos, and highlights of the work we accomplished for IndeCleanup. Sept. 30 - Oct. 4
Check out the difference
Come back to see before-and-after photos here.
Share your work
Did someone go above and beyond? Did your crew meet a great neighbor? Send us your photos and stories.
- Use the IndeCleanup Work Report Form to tell us about your project, including volunteers, hours worked, trash collected and other results.
- Before-and-after photos, action shots and group pictures help tell the story beyond the numbers.
- Send photos to Communications@indepmo.org or share them on social media using #IndeCleanup.
Sponsors & Community Partners
Thank you to the sponsors and community partners for IndeCleanup 2026.
Additional Resources
Cleanup week is only one part of the City's work to keep Independence clean. Explore year-round and seasonal programs available to residents, neighborhoods and volunteers.
Drop-off Depot
Seasonal disposal option for residents, funded with $100k+/year from the Street Sales Tax.
Adopt-A-Park
Help care for Independence Parks by volunteering through Adopt-A-Spot or Adopt-A-Park.
Clean Streets
City crews work year-round to clean streets, remove debris, graffiti, and illegal dumping.
Adopt-A-Street
Help care for Independence’s 1,300 lane miles of roadway by volunteering through Adopt-A-Street.
Household Hazardous Waste
Annual spring event for residents to safely dispose of household hazardous waste, funded by the City for $110k+/year.
Independence TOGETHER
Partnership with CSL supporting residents experiencing housing instability while working to clean up Independence.
Recycle & Donate Items
Local options in the Kansas City metro to recycle, donate, or safely dispose of household items.
Habitat ReStore
Donate new or gently used items to Habitat for Humanity.
Disclaimer
Participation in IndeCleanup is at your own risk. Participants must use appropriate caution to avoid damage to property, vehicles, or personal injury.
Neighborhood Drop-offs and Drop-off Depots at 875 S. Vista are held rain or shine.