About yard waste service

Yard waste is picked up every week on your garbage pickup day during yard waste season. Yard waste collection began on your pickup day the week of April 7, 2025, and will end on your pickup day the week of November 24-29, 2025.

Yard waste collection is included in the base fee for your Solid Waste & Recycling service. There's no extra charge for the collection of properly prepared yard waste. If you do not use the City's collection service, contact your hauler for information. 

By state law, it's illegal to throw yard waste in the garbage. It is also illegal to use a traditional plastic bag for yard waste picked up at your home.

See Minnesota Statute 115A.931 Yard Waste

Collection requirements

• Yard waste must be set out in reusable containers, compostable bags or in bundles secured with string or twine.
  • Reusable containers must be 32–38 gallons in size and 26–32 inches high, with sturdy handles. Yard waste will not be collected from buckets, pails, collapsible containers, or containers with wheels.
    • Consider poking one or more holes in the bottom of reusable yard waste bins to allow rain water to drain from the bin. This will help prevent your reusable container contents from being overweight if it rains and the lid blows away. 
  • Kraft paper bags or compostable bags may be found at grocery, hardware or retail stores.
  • Compostable plastic bags must have the BPI logo.
• Each container, bag or bundle must weigh less than 40 pounds.
• You must set yard waste at your collection point by 6 a.m. on your pickup day.
• Yard waste cannot be mixed with your organics recycling (compost). Learn why below

More about reusable yard waste containers

• If your yard waste container does not meet the collection requirements listed above, it may not be serviced. 
• The City is not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen reusable yard waste containers.
• You can request stickers for your reusable yard waste containers by contacting our office.

We accept

• Acorns
• Branches (less than 3 feet long and less than 3 inches in diameter)
• Brush (less than 3 feet long and less than 3 inches in diameter)
• Diseased plants, weed seeds and invasive species
  • All yard waste goes goes to a commercial composting facility where the piles are hot enough for long enough to properly manage these items.
• Garden plants
• Grass clippings
• Hay
• Leaves
• Mulch (no dirt or soil)
• Pine cones
• Pine needles
• Prunings from bushes or trees
• Tree bark
• Tree debris
• Twigs
• Vines (less than 3 feet long and less than 3 inches in diameter)
• Wood chips (no dirt or soil)

We do not accept

• Branches longer than 3 feet or wider than 3 inches in diameter
• Dirt or soil
• Pet waste
• Sawdust
• Sod
• Stumps
• Trees

Find disposal options for yard waste not accepted by the City

Pickup issues

If your yard waste is not set out for pickup properly, crews will attach a pink educational tag that describes the issue and how to fix it. If you don't fix the problem, we may add a fee to the property's utility bill.

If you have questions about the issue, contact us

Yard waste and organics recycling must be collected separately. This allows the compost facility to mix yard waste with organics at the needed ratio. If the materials are mixed when they arrive at the site, they have no way of knowing what the organics to yard waste ratio is.

Branches from storms

Property owners are responsible for trees on their property. Tree debris such as leaves, branches (less than 3 feet long and less than 3 inches diameter) and twigs are accepted with your regular yard waste collection. Larger branches are not accepted. Larger branches must be brought to a privately owned company. 

Find a private yard waste drop-off site

Boulevard tree debris is managed by Minneapolis Park and Recreation Forestry Division. 

Learn more or contact MPRB about damage to a boulevard tree

Ways to reduce yard waste

• Create a low-maintenance yard. There are many alternatives to yards with large mowing spaces. Consider a no-mow lawn, pollinator habitat, creeping perennials or edible garden.

• Practice grasscycling. This means leaving grass clippings on the lawn to decompose. Grasscycling benefits your lawn and reduces the need to set yard waste out for collection.

• Compost in your backyard. Turn your yard waste into compost and use it to improve the quality of your soil and grow healthier plants.

For more information, visit:

• Minnesota Extension – Yard and garden
• Minnesota Extension - Composting in home gardens