Tips for proper recycling of leaf and 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 our collection crews use different trucks to collect different materials at varying times during the day, all materials should be at the curb before 7 am 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.
Tips for proper recycling of leaf and yard waste:
- Use paper bags, not plastic
- Use open top reusable rigid containers (i.e. bins, baskets or a garbage can without a lid) preferably marked with a City of Hamilton yard waste sticker.
- Do not use cardboard boxes or blue bins for yard waste
- Ensure bags and containers weigh less than 50 pounds
- 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 ½ in) in diameter should be dropped off at Community Recycling Centres.
- 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 reduce the amount of grass being picked up at the curb, and 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.
Residents can pick up City of Hamilton yard waste stickers at any Municipal Service Centre or Recreation Centre starting Tuesday, May 22, 2018.
The City thanks residents for their continued participation in the recycling and waste programs.
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