Collecting Yard Waste

Mayor Baker, Public Works Commissioner Kash Srinivasan and the Clean Wilmington Committee reminds citizens to recycle their yard waste by placing the material in paper bags only for proper disposal. At the same time, citizens are asked not to place yard waste in plastic bags which will not be recycled.

The City collects more than 6,200 tons of materials each year which are recycled instead of deposited in the local landfill. More than 1,125 tons of the yearly total are in the form of yard waste and leaves.

When yard waste is disposed of properly by citizens using paper bags, the recycling rate increases, contributing even more to the City’s growing reputation as a recycling leader.

Prepare for Curbside Yard Waste Removal

• Citizens living on the east side of Interstate 95 may place their yard waste at the curb (in paper bags only…no plastic bags) each Monday when they place their recycle bin at the curb. The City’s recycling collection teams will call in the location of the yard waste to the Public Work’s Call Center, and the City will collect the yard waste bags no later than Wednesday.
• Citizens living on the west side of Interstate 95 may place their yard waste at the curb (in paper bags only…no plastic bags) each Tuesday when they place their recycle bin at the curb. The City’s recycling collection teams will call in the location of the yard waste to the Public Work’s Call Center and the City will collect the yard waste bags no later than Thursday.
• Citizens may also continue to call in their own yard waste location information to the Public Works Call Center at 576-3878 as long as citizens call in the information on Monday or Tuesday as soon as they have placed their yard waste at the curb.
• The City will no longer provide yard waste collection on Friday or the weekend, so citizens must be sure to place their yard waste at the curb either on a Monday or a Tuesday depending on whether their property is east or west of Interstate 95.
• There is no limit to the number of paper bags filled with yard waste that you can place at the curb for pick-up.

Where to Get Your FREE Yard Waste Collection Bags

You can obtain FREE yard waste disposal bags from:

• Mayor's Office of Constituent Services
  Louis L. Redding City/County Building
  800 N. French Street, 3rd Floor
  Phone: (302) 576-2489
• City Municipal Complex
  500 Wilmington Avenue
  Phone: (302) 576-3879
• Delaware Center for Horticulture
  1810 N. DuPont Street
  Phone: (302) 658-6262

Yard waste disposal bags may also be purchased at any local home improvement store. Property owners may also supply their own collection bags as long as the bags are made of paper and properly secured when placed at the curb.

Community Clean-Ups

To coordinate your fall community or neighborhood clean-up events with the City’s yard waste collection efforts, please refer to this schedule to find out when we will be in your area.

Private Trash Collection

City Code prevents the City of Wilmington from providing yard waste removal service to private trash/yard waste contractors. Residents using those services need to check to ensure waste collected from their residence is disposed of properly.