Hunter
10/09/25
The Iowa City City Council unanimously voted against a resolution to move forward with the purchase of a Caterpillar trash compactor for landfill operations Tuesday.
The Daily Iowan reports City councilors voted down the purchase following an Aug. 5 boycott resolution stating the council would block any future investments in companies supporting Israel, including Caterpillar.
The new trash compactor was set to replace a 10-year-old compactor, also manufactured by Caterpillar, that has reached the end of its use.
Several councilors and members of the community voiced their concerns that purchasing a compactor from Caterpillar, which has been approved to supply the Israeli military with bulldozers used for combat and path clearing, would be in contrast to the August resolution.
The council said they would move forward, researching other companies that could supply equipment compatible with the city’s current landfill systems.