Sept. 26, 2023
Grab your rakes, mowers and pruning shears—fall yard waste collection is nearly upon us.
Residents receiving curbside collection will have two yard waste collection days this fall—one before October 31 and one after. Collection runs on Mondays from October 2 to November 27, depending on where you live in the City. Yard waste includes leaves, twigs, branches, fallen fruit, dead plants, grass and other plant material from your yard or garden.
Here are a few ways you can prepare for your yard waste collection days:
- Find your collection days by using the Wastewise app or by visiting edmonton.ca/YardWaste.
- On your collection days, set yard waste out before 7 a.m. in see-through plastic or double-ply paper bags.
- Sticks and branches over 0.3 metres (1 ft) should be bundled and set out outside of yard waste bags. Bundles must be less than 1.2 metres long.
The City of Edmonton processes residents’ yard waste into high-quality compost. Free compost is available at the Ambleside and Kennedale Eco Stations until November 5.
Edmontonians are also encouraged to learn more about the options available for disposing of their grass, leaves and yard waste, aside from leaving them at the curb for collection.
“Yard waste isn’t necessarily ‘waste,’” said Rodney Al, program coordinator for the City’s home compost programs. “When used properly, grass, leaves and other materials can make your yard and garden a beautiful, resilient environment.”
Here’s a handy cheat sheet:
Good: Top up your food scraps cart. The yard waste is then processed together with food scraps to make lower-quality compost.
Better: Set it out for fall yard waste collection or take it to an Eco Station. These options keep it separated from food scraps, creating high-quality compost.
Best: Leave some leaves and clippings on your lawn, mulch it into your soil or compost it at home.
While “Best” actions might seem more time intensive, that’s not the case—in fact, Al says, in some cases it means leaving the yard trimmings where they are.
“If left on the lawn, leaves and grass clippings will break down and provide your grass with nutrients,” said Al. “You can also use mulched yard waste around plants to protect them from the cold.”
Aside from the benefits to your yard, choosing one or more of these at-home options helps reduce the amount of waste being processed and the number of bags collectors have to carry throughout the season.
On one collection day last October, collectors lifted 810 tonnes of yard waste—as much as 68 City buses!
Be sure to find your pickup days and do your part to dispose of—or make use of—your yard waste.
