Yard Waste

Consider backyard composting. Leaves, grass clippings, and plant material combined with kitchen scraps make an excellent compost that will enrich your garden and save tax dollars. Yard Waste is a weekly service collected on your regularly scheduled collection day.

• Place all yard waste at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.
• NEVER place yard waste in your garbage or recycling cart
• It is illegal to dispose of yard waste in an NC landfill. Roll-out carts with yard waste will not be emptied.
• Grass clippings, tree and shrubbery trimmings, and leaves must be placed in brown paper lawn bags or a container clearly marked "yard waste only", weighing less than 35 pounds. NO plastic bags are permitted, with changes effective July 5, 2022.
• Limbs greater than 1 inch diameter and 12 inches long do not require bagging and should be placed with other limbs for collection.
• Limbs longer than 6 feet or greater than 12 inches in diameter are prohibited and will not be collected.
• Live Christmas trees and other live greenery are recyclable as yard waste. Remove tree stands, lights, ornaments, and tinsel; then place your tree curbside with other yard waste.
• Artificial Christmas trees and decorations are garbage and should NOT be placed along with yard waste.

Use of Personal Containers Permitted ONLY for Yard Waste

• Must be 44 gallons or less and be equipped with handles.
• Must be clearly marked “YARD WASTE ONLY.”
• Must weigh less than 35 pounds when full.
• The City is not responsible for missing, stolen or damaged personal containers.
   

Reasons for change to paper bags:

• Eliminates health and safety hazards experienced by staff with lifting bags, cutting bags and standing extensively behind the truck on route.
• Brown compostable yard waste bags do not retain water/condensation and cannot be tied.
• Improved work conditions (reduced lifting and odor from tied plastic bags).
• Eliminates use of plastic as an environmental impact to our landfill.

Yard Waste Placement & Restrictions

• Do not block sidewalks or traffic lanes, or place yard waste below low-hanging power or phone lines. Yard waste should be placed 2 feet from vehicles, utility poles, and other structures.
• Do not mix dirt, rocks, animal waste or trash with yard waste.
• The city does not collect yard waste that was put at the curb by a commercial landscaping company or tree company.

Loose Leaf Season

• Loose leaves are collected curbside November to January according to the published schedule.
• Loose leaf collection schedules are announced in September. Watch for the schedule in your utility bill.
• Do not mix limbs, rocks, or other material with your leaves. Contamination can damage collection equipment or injure crew members or bystanders.
• Properly bagged leaves are collected year-round on your scheduled collection day.
• Leaves left at curb after loose-leaf season ends must be placed in brown compostable lawn paper bags.
• Second Chance Leaf Collection is offered for two weeks after the last week of leaf season. A fee of $75/collection will be charged to the resident.