Yard Waste Collection and Options

Yard waste is collected twice in spring and twice in fall, on designated Mondays each year. Fall yard waste collection dates run from October 3-November 28, 2022. There are no volume limits on designated yard waste collection days, as long as you comply with requirements.

Yard waste includes leaves, twigs, branches, fallen fruit, dead plants, grass and other plant material from your yard or garden.

The yard waste collected and dropped off at the Eco Stations is processed separately from food scraps, to make high-quality compost. The compost is available for free in the spring and summer at Ambleside and Kennedale Eco Stations, starting in May.

Setting Out Your Yard Waste

Follow these tips to ensure you don't miss your yard waste collection dates.

Set out yard waste by 7am on your seasonal yard waste collection days.
Set out yard waste in see-through plastic or double-ply paper bags. Bags should not weigh more than 20kg (44 lbs).
Materials over 0.3 metre (1 ft) need to be tied in bundles and set out beside the yard waste bags. Materials tied in bundles can be no longer than 1.2 metres (4 ft) and 0.75 metre (2.5 ft) in diameter.
Yard waste bags should be in good condition and packaged in a safe manner for the collector to handle. Paper bags must be rolled closed at the top, and see-through plastic bags must be tied closed to prevent spills.
Note: Tree stumps and trunks are not accepted for curbside collection but can be dropped off at an Eco Station for free.

Excess Yard Waste

On yard waste collection days, there are no volume limits. You may set out as many bags or bundles as you have, as long as they comply with the requirements.

Between seasonal yard waste collection days you can:

Store excess yard waste for your next yard waste collection day. See-through plastic bags are recommended for longer term storage, or when stored in potentially damp conditions. Paper yard waste bags can be used if stored in a dry location for shorter than a week.
Drop off yard waste at an Eco Station for free. Loose or in paper bags is preferred. If you bring yard waste in plastic bags, you will be asked to debag it before dumping the contents into the yard waste bin. No plastic bags are permitted in the yard waste bin.
Top up your food scraps cart with yard waste, as long as you can close the lid. Do not compact your food scraps cart, as material may not come out when being tipped into the truck.
Compost at home and leave grass clippings on the lawn. These practices return valuable nutrients to your soil.

Yard Waste Disposal Options

In the winter and summer when there are no yard waste collection days, yard waste can be disposed of in the following ways:

Add your yard waste to your food scraps cart, as long as the lid can close.
Drop off excess yard waste to an Eco Station. Yard waste in plastic bags must be debagged before placing it in the bin.
Use leaves, twigs and shrub trimmings as mulch to protect your plants through the winter and provide them with nutrients.
Go bagless! Remove the bag off of your mower, and leave grass clippings on your lawn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find my yard waste collection dates?

You can find this information by downloading the WasteWise app, or searching your address directly in the app online at edmonton.ca/waste, or using the collection calendar and City map delivered to you with your carts.

Why is my yard waste collection day so early? I don’t have any yard waste to set out.

In order for each neighbourhood to receive yard waste collection twice in the spring and twice in the fall, the dates were spread out over 8 Mondays per yard waste collection season. They were planned based on the months that residents are mostly likely to expect yard waste. Because this is a brand new service, the City will evaluate the volumes of yard waste collected during these days and use the data to determine the future yard waste collection schedules.

Visit edmonton.ca/waste for yard waste options to help you dispose of your yard waste between seasonal collection days.

Why is the seasonal yard waste collection on a different collection day than other waste?

Yard waste is conveniently collected on the first business day following the weekend which is when residents typically perform yard work. Monday is not a collection day for regular waste which allows Waste Services to use the garbage trucks’ regular “day off” to cost-effectively collect your yard waste.

How are the seasonal yard collection days selected?

The 2022 spring yard waste collection dates were scheduled to start in late April based on the late snowfall in 2021. Many residents have had an opportunity for fall yard waste cleanup due to the late snowfall, so less will have leftover yard waste in spring. The fall yard waste collection dates in 2022 were pushed back to later in the year based on resident feedback.

Yard waste collection days are on Mondays when there is no recycling collection, as they are performed by recycling trucks. Due to the size of the recycling fleet, one-quarter of the city can be serviced at a time.

Households with curbside collection receive two yard waste collection days in the spring and two in the fall. The collection days are spaced out with 4 or 5 weeks between the first and last collection day for each household, allowing time to accumulate more yard waste.

What happens if I miss my seasonal yard waste collection day?

Every single-unit residence will have 2 seasonal collection days in the spring and 2 in the fall (4 in total). If you miss 1 seasonal collection day, you could set it out at your next yard waste collection date or drop it off at an Eco Station free of charge (removing yard waste contents from plastic bags is required at Eco Stations if not using paper bags).

Another option is to top up your food scraps cart with yard waste, as long as you don’t compact it in and the lid is still able to close.

Why are only paper, or see-through plastic bags accepted for yard waste collection? Can I use garbage bags or blue bags for yard waste?

Paper bags are commonly used in the cities offering separate yard waste collection, are environmentally friendly and can be composted with the yard waste. If you choose to use paper, please use double-ply paper bags as they are more durable than single-ply bags and don’t break easily during use.

See-through plastic bags of any colour (including blue bags) are more affordable, durable and will help our collectors do a quick visual inspection to ensure only yard waste is collected. Black garbage bags will not be accepted. This will help improve the quality of the compost product and collection efficiency.

Can I use my food scraps cart to set out my yard waste for seasonal collection?

During seasonal collection, yard waste is collected manually by hand using a different type of vehicle than those used for cart collection. Therefore, carts cannot be used for the seasonal yard waste collection. You can top up your food scraps cart with yard waste outside of your seasonal collection date.

Can I throw weeds in my yard waste bags?

Non-invasive weeds (for example: dandelions) can go in your seasonal yard waste and food scraps cart, but invasive (regulated) weeds belong in the garbage cart. Disposing of invasive weeds in the garbage before they go to seed is the only way to prevent their spread.

For more information on identifying invasive weeds, please visit edmonton.ca/weeds or call 311.

How big are the paper yard waste bags? Are they durable enough not to break if they contain damp yard waste, or if it rains/snows after I put them out?

If you choose to use paper bags for yard waste, please use doubly-ply paper yard waste bags that are biodegradable, compostable, and moisture-resistant. They can be no bigger than 40 cm x 30 cm x 87.5 cm or about 105L, and no heavier than 20 kg when filled. Bags must comply with these standards in order to protect collectors, as larger bags tend to be heavier and can place collectors at risk of injury.

Paper yard waste bags are available for purchase at many major hardware and grocery retailers. These bags are resistant to rain and snow to a certain extent, so bags placed outside on collection day should not break. However, please store filled bags out of the rain/snow until collection day, to reduce the risk of breakage.

Residents can also use see-through plastic bags for yard waste.

What about residents who generate large volumes of yard waste, like those in mature neighbourhoods with large lots and many trees, including City boulevards?

The City offers many convenient options to dispose of yard waste.

While managing the leaves and grass on boulevards is an expectation of residents (Bylaw C14600, Part II, Section 8), they can reduce the amount of yard waste they need to set out by leaving grass clippings on the lawn, mulching leaves or home composting.

Residents with large volumes of yard waste can take advantage of the free yard waste collection dates twice in spring and twice in fall where they can set out unlimited paper or see-through plastic yard bags or adequately sized bundles of branches.

If they have a vehicle, residents can drop off yard waste at an Eco Station free of charge. Removing the yard waste contents from the plastic bags is required at Eco Stations if not using paper bags.

Residents can also top up their food scraps carts with yard waste for regular weekly collection, as long as the cart lid still fully closes.

What if I don’t have a vehicle to transport yard waste to an Eco Station?

The City offers many convenient options to dispose of yard waste.

Residents can reduce the amount of yard waste they need to set out by leaving grass clippings on the lawn, mulching leaves or home composting. They can also top up their food scraps carts with yard waste for regular weekly collection, as long as the cart lid still fully closes.

Residents with large volumes of yard waste can take advantage of the free yard waste collection dates twice in spring and twice in fall where they can set out unlimited paper or see-through plastic yard bags or adequately sized bundles of branches.

My yard waste was not collected. Why?

Yard waste needs to be set out by 7 am on the seasonal yard waste collection day. Please use kraft or double-ply paper bags, or clear, transparent colour, orange or even Halloween decoration plastic bags. Or set out your yard waste in bundles that are no longer than 1.2 metres (4 feet) and 0.75 metres (2.5 feet) in diameter on the yard waste collection day. Other containers will not be accepted as the collectors will not be able to confirm whether the content is clean yard waste. Each bag should not weigh more than 20kg (44lbs). Overweight bags will not be collected.

If your yard waste was not collected as a result, you could bring your bags to an Eco Station, free of charge. Just keep in mind that you will need to remove the yard waste contents from any plastic bags or biodegradable compostable bags at the Eco Station while paper bags can be dropped directly into the bin for processing. If the volume is low, you could also put the yard waste in your food scraps cart as long as the lid can fully close.

If your lawn is maintained by a contractor, please ask your contractor to use proper bags - see-through plastic bags or paper yard waste bags. They could also bring the yard waste to an Eco Station for free drop-off (removing contents from the plastic bags is required at Eco Stations if not using paper bags).

Yard Waste Collection and Options

Other Ways to Find Your Collection Dates

Wastewise App

Printed Collection Calendar

Setting Out Your Yard Waste

Excess Yard Waste

Yard Waste Disposal Options

Organics Processing Program

Composting

Eco Stations

Frequently Asked Questions