Spring has officially sprung, and that means it’s time to roll up your sleeves and give your yard some springtime TLC. Whether you’re trimming trees or finally tackling that leaf pile from last fall, Halton is here to help! Our annual yard waste collection program is back, making it easy for you to clean up your outdoor space and keep it out of the landfill! Use our helpful tips to make sure you’re sorting your waste correctly.
Yard Waste: what you need to know
Who receives yard waste collection?
Yard waste collection occurs in urban areas only. Have yard waste at the curb by 7 a.m. the morning of your collection but no earlier than 5 p.m. the night before.
What should I put my yard waste in?
Place your materials in a paper yard waste bag or an open, labelled, reusable, rigid container (no lids, please). If you’re using a reusable container, place a yard waste label on it to ensure it will be collected.
As a friendly reminder, yard waste that is placed in Blue Boxes, Green Carts, laundry baskets, plastic, and non-paper compostable bags will not be collected.
How much yard waste can I put out?
You can fill a paper bag or container that can hold up to 125 litres and weighs no more than 50 pounds. Remember to keep your brush tied in bundles of 2 meters by 1 meter (6ft x 3ft) wide or less, with branches at 7.5 cm (3 in) in diameter or less.
Yard Waste materials
Accepted materials:
- leaves
- sticks and twigs
- tree trimmings
- decorative cornstalks
- fallen fruit from trees
- yard and garden trimmings
- pumpkins
Unacceptable materials:
- tree stumps
- sod
- soil
- rocks
- clay
- plastic bags
- plastic flowerpots and tags
- giant hogweed
- grass clippings (leave grass clippings on your lawn to provide up to 25% of the lawn's annual fertilizer needs)
If you’re ever unsure about where your waste goes, you can use Halton’s handy sorting tool to find out where to place it, or access the waste sorting guide.
Your Yard Waste is making nutrient-rich compost!
Did you know? All the yard waste collected is processed into nutrient-rich, natural compost. This process helps divert organic materials from our landfill and provides us with an important resource that benefits the environment and our gardens.
You’ll have the opportunity to grab some of this great compost from May 5-11! Come down to our compost giveaways at the Halton Waste Management Site and bring your shovel and collect up to seven 20 litre containers (or equivalent) of free compost material per household. Non-perishable food items and debit/credit monetary donations to support local food banks are encouraged. Cash donations will not be accepted at this time.
Visit our Waste Events page to find specific times and details on upcoming waste initiatives.
Managing your waste has never been easier!
Stay on top of your waste pickup days by signing up for waste reminders and updates or have alerts delivered directly to your phone. You can also sync your online collection schedule to your calendar to make sure you never miss a waste day again.
Find out more about our waste programs and services or dive into our lineup of digital resources at halton.ca/waste.