Van's Sanitation is a family-owned business based out of Le Mars, Iowa. We began as a two man operation with just a handful of customers to having 25+ employees and servicing much of Plymouth County. In 1995, we got the contract with the City of Le Mars for garbage removal and have held that contract since. We now provide residential trash removal for several towns throughout Plymouth County, Iowa, such as Akron, Oyens, Craig, Hinton, Le Mars, and Westfield. We also provide garbage removal service for rural Plymouth County as well.

In 1998, we started recycling cardboard at Blue Bunny, local Wal-Mart stores, and other local businesses. Today we pick up cardboard and other recycling from over 25 commercial customers and several Wal-Mart stores in the surrounding area. In 2012 we opened a shop in Omaha, Nebraska, where we provide cardboard recycling to several local Wal-Mart stores and other businesses in the Omaha area.

In March of 2012, we got the bid to start sorting the residential material from Plymouth County. We started sorting recyclables from Cherokee in June 2012. We are processing approximately 88 tons for Plymouth County and approximately 30 tons for Cherokee every month using a single stream recycling process.

• Van’s was instrumental in helping the City of Le Mars get started with the 90-gallon garbage program and with implementing the recycling program.
• Van’s was instrumental in helping the City of Hinton get started with a 65-gallon garbage program and we also helped them implement a 90-gallon recycling container program as well.
• Van’s is currently working with Wells Enterprises in achieving a goal of zero waste.
• Van’s is working with Plymouth County on getting all rural communities to go from drop off sites to 90-gallon curbside pickup.
• Van’s opened a Recycling Center in April 2012. The Recycling Center handles all recycling from Plymouth County and Cherokee County. Since the opening of the Recycling Center, Van's was awarded a contract from the City of Spencer as well.
• A total of 140 tons of single stream recycling is being processed every month through Van’s Sanitation Recycling Center.

It is amazing how much the recycling program has grown since 1998. In the beginning, we would recycle around 260 tons of cardboard per month. Currently we average approximately 480 tons of cardboard recycling each month.

Van's Sanitation is proud to say that in 2013 we earned the Governor's Iowa Environmental Excellence Award - Special Recognition in Waste Management - along with the City of Le Mars and Plymouth County Solid Waste Agency for our recycling program. We also earned the Best Business Recycling Program award from the Iowa Recyclers Association (IRA). We have worked hard to implement both residential and commercial recycling programs and are excited with how well it has turned out. We could not have done this without the cooperation of local cities, landfills, residents of Plymouth County & Cherokee County, and all of the local businesses who participate in making our environment a better place