Yard Waste

Every year, Chicago residents throw out thousands of tons of leaves, lawn clippings and other yard waste.

For residents with the Blue Cart program, they can bag their yard waste in either paper or plastic bags and place it next to their recycling and garbage carts for weekly collection, April through November.

The City of Chicago recommends that residents without the Blue Cart program compost their yard waste in their own back yard. Backyard composting turns yard and household waste into beneficial nutrients for the soil, and saves money on fertilizers. For detailed information on composting, see "DOE’s Composting Tips" attached as a PDF, below, or visit the Chicago Home Composting Program website at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/homecomposting/.