Yard Waste

Yard waste consists of grass clippings, leaves, garden material, and bundled or contained branches that are not to exceed four (4) inches in diameter, or four (4) feet in length. View yard waste guidelines in PDF form.

Yard waste will be picked up on your recycling day. Curbside services typically begin the early April and continue through late November.  In 2023, yard waste services begin April 17.  Beginning May 15th 2023, yard waste pickup will be moving to an every-other-week pickup schedule until leaf season.  Check your schedule here.

Please place at curb no later than 6 a.m. on your recycling pickup day or the evening before.

How do I prepare yard waste for pick-up?

• Place in a labelled 32-gallon or smaller trash can with handles, or in brown paper compost bags. Cans larger 32 gallons can not be accepted, regardless of overall weight.
• Bags or cans must weigh less than 50 pounds. 
  • Note: grass clippings can be very heavy, especially when wet! We encourage mulching grass clippings. 
• Place bags or can approximately six feet from trash.
• Stickers for reusable containers may be obtained at the Department of Public Services or City Hall at no charge.
• Must not contain rubbish, dirt, sod, stones,  planters, plastic bags, invasive species, or recyclables. Common invasive plant species in Ypsilanti include:
  • Garlic mustard
  • Spotted knapweed
  • Buckthorn (both common and glossy)
  • Japanese knotweed
  • Tree of Heaven
  • Oriental bittersweet