May long weekend yard chores: proper disposal of yard waste

HAMILTON, ON – With the long weekend ahead, many residents will be spending time in their yards cleaning up from winter and preparing their lawns and gardens for the summer.

Residents can put out an unlimited amount of leaf and yard waste each week alongside their garbage, recycling and green bins. Given collection crews use different trucks to collect different materials at varying times during the day, all materials should be at the curb before 7 a.m. on collection day to ensure residents don’t miss one of the trucks.

Yard waste includes natural things that decompose or breakdown to become compost. Residents should place their yard waste in a brown paper bag, or other open top rigid reusable container, preferably marked with a City of Hamilton yard waste sticker. Leaf and yard waste is taken to an outdoor facility where it is turned into compost.

Reminder: Yard waste (including grass) is no longer acceptable in the green bin.

Tips for proper composting of leaf and yard waste:

• Use brown/kraft paper bags with the top folded over, not plastic bags
• Use open top reusable rigid containers (i.e. bins, bushel baskets or a garbage can without a lid) preferably marked with a City of Hamilton yard waste sticker. Residents can consider drilling holes into the sides and bottom of their containers to allow drainage and air circulation.
• Do not use cardboard boxes, blue boxes or green bins for yard waste
• Ensure bags and containers weigh less than 50 pounds
• Ensure containers are less than 135 litres
• Bundle branches and twigs and tie them together with string in bundles no longer than 1.2m (4ft) and .75m (2.5ft) in diameter. Individual branches can’t be larger than 7cm (2.5in) in diameter.
• Branches that are more than 7 cm (or 2.5 in) in diameter should be dropped off at Community Recycling Centres.
• Stumps, sod, soil and rock are not accepted in any City of Hamilton waste programs.
• Do not let branches stick out of the yard waste bag
• Do not rake yard waste and leaves onto the roadway

The City encourages residents to leave their grass clippings on their lawns to provide food and nutrients to worms and grass. Residents who don’t wish to leave their grass clippings on their lawns can place grass with their leaf and yard waste – grass is not accepted in the green bin.

Green bins with leaf and yard waste in them will receive a bright pink “oops” sticker and will not be collected (image attached).

Residents can pick up City of Hamilton yard waste stickers at any Municipal Service Centre or Recreation Centre.

The City thanks residents for their continued participation in the recycling and waste programs.

Additional Resources:

• Yard Waste Program
• Municipal Service Centres