If you don’t know what your city’s website is, you can do a quick google search with keywords like “yard waste collection” or “yard waste pickup” and the name of where you live. For example, “yard waste collection Seattle Washington. ” Many communities distribute yard waste bins along with recycling bins and garbage bins, which makes it easy to put your leaves and branches out for collection. If you do have a yard waste bin, it’s still important to read up on local guidelines about what you can and can’t put in the bin, what days and times the city picks up yard waste, and other important info.
You can purchase paper lawn and leaf bags online or at any home improvement center. Department stores and garden centers also usually sell them. Some communities might also allow you to put leaves and branches in a container labeled “yard waste only. ” This is a piece of information you would be able to find on your local government’s website. If any small branches are too gnarly to fit neatly into your yard waste bin or lawn and leaf bags, you can saw them up or break them apart until they fit.
For example, you might only be permitted to put out bundles that are up to 4 ft (1. 2 m) long and 2 ft (0. 61 m) wide. There might also be limitations on how big the branches can be, such as up to 4 in (10 cm) in diameter. Note that branches and other yard waste generated by landscapers are usually not allowed to be left for curbside pickup. In other words, if you hire a landscaper to trim your trees and rake leaves, they are responsible for disposing of the waste.
For example, your city’s yard waste collection time might be between 7:00 a. m. and 9:00 a. m. on Mondays. In this case, you would have to put out your leaves and branches on Sunday night or before 7:00 a. m. on Monday. Make sure that your yard waste is not obstructing bike lanes, sidewalks, or traffic. If you miss the collection time for some reason, wait until the next pickup day to put your yard waste out. Don’t just leave it sitting out for days until the next time the city comes around to collect it.
This is an alternative to putting your yard waste out for collection if you need to get rid of a large amount of yard waste, if there is no curbside pickup service in your area, or if you are a professional landscaper who is responsible for disposing of the yard waste you generate. You might find a variety of facilities in your area that accept leaves and branches, such as composting depots, dumps, recycling facilities, and even community gardens. You can choose the site that is most convenient to you.
For example, a facility might only accept branches that are less than 3 ft (0. 91 m) in length and under 4 in (10 cm) in diameter.
Yard waste recycling facilities usually won’t accept leaves if they are inside plastic bags.
These facilities usually have pretty standard hours, such as from 7:00 a. m to 5:00 p. m. on weekdays, shorter hours on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays and holidays.
There are lots of junk hauling services that will take away pretty much anything you can imagine. You can find these services by Googling something like “yard waste hauling service” or “junk haulers” and the name of where you live.
Make sure there are no branches or large pieces of debris on your lawn before you start mowing over the leaves.
If you don’t have a composting bin, you can build one on a free afternoon. Composting will cut down on the amount of yard waste you have to put out for collection or haul away, not to mention it’s useful and great for the environment!
Burning leaves and branches emits pollutants, and there’s always a risk of accidentally spreading a fire, so use this technique as a last resort. Try to recycle as much as you can by turning leaves into mulch or compost, then burn whatever you can’t use. If you live in a rural area without a yard waste collection service or a nearby drop-off facility, this might be the most practical method to get rid of your leaves and branches.
